


Set In Motion

by Ayearandaday



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, An evil ex from Hell?, And kiss!, Angst and Feels, Armitage Hux is So Done, At least Rey is oblivious to other hard things, Attempted Assault, Badass Rey, Badass Rey (Star Wars), Bazine is Reylo, Bazine ships it hard, CEO Kylo Ren, Can you become a widow before you even get married?, Carise being a bitch, Carise makes an appearance, Chekhov's Gun, Cindereyla?, Date Night, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Do not piss Rey off, Don't mess with my girl, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Everyone needs a friend like Rose, Evil Snoke, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, GingerRose?, Gingerrose - Freeform, Good Friends, Good Parent Han Solo, HEA, HEA is coming, Hux and Leia dream team, I know nothing about cars, I wonder who, I'm so proud for my silly space noodles, Is Kylo warming up to Reylo?, Is that a healthy working environment Kylo?, Is that the proper ship name?, Just Talk You Idiots, Just let them figure things on their own Leia!, Knock his socks off him girl!, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo got an eye twitch, Kylo had it coming, Kylo has a brilliant idea, Kylo has a competence kink, Kylo has one (1) brain cell, Kylo is head over heels, Kylo is his father's son, Kylo is just like his old man, Kylo is not as smart as he thinks, Kylo is so dead, Kylo is still alive, Kylo is stunned, Kylo the perfect boyfriend, Kylo tries to act like a responsible adult, Kylo will never recover from Benny-Poo, Ladies of STEM rule, Leia ships it, Luke Cockblocker Skywalker, Mama Bear Finn, Mastermind Leia Organa, Miscommunication, No kids of pregnancy, Not in his sacred lab, Phasma is cheeky, Pretty Princess Dress, Protective Finn (Star Wars), Protective Kylo Ren, Protective Phasma, Protective boyfriend mode activated, Rey & Rose Tico Friendship, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey Needs A Hug (Star Wars), Rey and Rose are a dream team, Rey can defend herself, Rey deserves female friends, Rey does the right thing, Rey is a real-life Disney princess, Rey is done with casual sexism, Rey is going to find out, Rey is no damsel in distress, Rey is overwhelmed, Rey is overworked, Rey meets the family, Rey on the warpath, Rey shows her playful side, Rey's Magical Makeover, Rey's parents make sort of an appearance, Reysexual Ben, Rose gets herself a ginger snack, Rose is Reylo, Rose is Smart, Rose stumbled upon a golden mine, Secret Marriage, Seriously guys, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, Snoke Being a Dick, Snoke Being a Dick (Star Wars), Snoke gets his ass handed to him, Snoke is so fucked, Snoke is up to no good, Someone crushes hard, Someone had to turn Kylo off commitments, Someone has a soft spot for Rey?, Space Mom Leia Organa, Strategist Bazine, Stubborn Rey (Star Wars), Student Rey (Star Wars), Suspicions, Teedo is not nice, The Author Has No Driving License, The Author Has a Vivid Imagination and Google, The Author Regrets Nothing, The boy is into women who can whoop his ass, The girls are smart, They are doing just fine!, This is NOT the job Rey was after, We have feels and we have fluff, What a plot twist, a teaspoon of engines talk, and fluffy, background stormpilot, because my girl deserves it, but it's a ring, but she could use protective Kylo, fake engagement, for five minutes straight, happily ever after in progress, i don't make the rules, it's canon, kylo is a mess, kylo is an ass, not for long though, nothing - Freeform, one shared brain cell, or so he thought, regardless of what Disney thinks, rose is badass, team effort, the author knows nothing about cars, they are soft, they grow up so fast, they talk!, yet - Freeform, you bet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24878701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayearandaday/pseuds/Ayearandaday
Summary: All Rey wants is one internship instead of her two-and-a-half jobs, a Master degree in Mechanical Engineering and a good night sleep. All Kylo wants is to release his new line of TIEs and to keep spending his time and money the way he sees fit. The chances they meet are low and yet...
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 240
Kudos: 315
Collections: Ijustfellintothissendhelp





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WIPs monogamy? Don't know her😂 Welcome to my first proper attempt at enemies-to-lovers story. It's going to be more snark, less fluff fic, but we'll see how it goes. And of course, HEA is guaranteed!
> 
> Many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley who wholeheartedly approves Rey's self-defense practices))

Rey was tired, so damn tired. Exhausted to the bone, an exhaustion so deep that no amount of sleep could cure her. Not that it mattered since she didn’t have time to sleep anyway. It was simple math: twenty-four hours in which to fit her classes, studying, work, and rest. And when you have a scholarship requiring 100% attendance, have to stay at the top of your class, and have to juggle at least two-and-a-half jobs, the equation is never in your favor.

“…Rey?”

“Mmmm?” she turned to Finn slowly. Both he and his boyfriend Poe were looking at her with concern, something they tended to do often lately.

“Did you hear a word I said?”

“Yeah, absolutely,” she tried to smile instead of yawn. “You were talking about the thing…”

“The thing?” her friend looked at her dubiously.

“Uh huh.”

“The thing is that you need a day off,” Finn said resolutely. “Or two.”

She scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Said the girl whose most pronounced feature is bags under her eyes,” Poe butted in. “Look, I know you make an appealing human perpetuum mobile, but Rey, you need a break.”

She rolled her eyes. Breaks were a luxury for people with money, stable employment, or a safety net. For people like Poe. Rey herself wasn’t one of those people. She was a broke orphan who somehow made it into the most prestigious engineering program in the country. If she got her degree, then her future would be safe. If.

Coruscant university was famous for its conservative nature, meaning it was first and foremost meant for rich white men. So Rey had already failed at two of the necessary prerequisites. She might have been brilliant enough to get a scholarship that covered her tuition, but she had other needs, too, like food and shelter, that the university conveniently forgot to cover. More so, at every turn, Rey was reminded of how she had taken a place meant for some smart boy because seriously, women’s delicate brains weren’t meant to handle such complicated things as calculus and mechanics. So what if she was working twice as hard as her peers to prove herself, no one was taking her seriously anyway.

To find a job that accommodated her crazy schedule _and_ paid her bills was a challenge. So far she had her waitressing gig, a place at Plutt’s pawn shop, and occasional odd jobs like dog-walking on the side, all barely enough to cover her shoebox size apartment, food, and textbooks. So yeah, Rey didn’t need a break, what she needed was _a job_ , one job at a good reputable company that would support her and show her professors that she’s just as capable of putting her degree to good use as any trust fund kid she shared a class with.

Of course that’s not what Rey could say out loud or else her friends would offer something she wasn’t willing to accept. She would rather keep her pride intact, thank you very much

“I don’t have time for a break right now,” she said instead. “Maybe later.” _Later_ meaning after she got her masters. Not to mention finishing her bachelors first. If only she wasn’t so tired….

“This can’t be healthy,” Finn shook his head disapprovingly.

Rey did what she did best – zoned out of the conversation. It wasn’t difficult – the world was slightly fuzzy around the edges most of the time to her. Maybe she could close her eyes for a second and…

“…Benny boy would head his own company, and here he is, releasing Tie Silencers, no less.”

Rey’s eyes snapped open. Ties were one of the most prestigious cars on the market and the Silencer’s release was something half of her class swooned over. To work on such a vehicle….

She looked at the TV screen. A pretty blonde journalist interviewed a tall dark-haired scowling man, who, according to the moving line, was one of the wealthiest men under thirty-five in the country: the CEO of the First Order, Kylo Ren. Rey frowned. The chances of the CEO actually working on the car development were slim.

“Who’s Benny boy?”

Poe nodded toward the screen with a smirk. “The one and only.”

“His name is Kylo Ren,” she said, squinting at the text. Was her eyesight that bad? Or was it the exhaustion?

“Yeah, his chosen name,” her friend scoffed. “His _given_ name is Ben Solo and we go _way_ back.”

Rey’s jaw dropped open. Then snapped shut. So Poe had been _friends_ with a freaking head of an automobile corporation and never bothered to tell her?! _Her_ who was getting a degree in mechanical engineering? _Her_ who could strip a car and put it back together since she was twelve? _Her_ who _dreamed_ of getting an internship at First Order Industries?

“What the fuck, Poe?” Rey demanded sharply.

The man startled. “What?”

“You could have landed me a job ages ago and _you never told me_?!”

Finn looked between the two of them nervously. “Look, Peanut…”

“You hate charity,” Poe mumbled with wide eyes, shocked by her sudden outburst.

“This is _not_ charity, this is my chance!” Rey snapped. A chance to sleep through the night, to get her degree in peace, to prove herself. “You said yourself you and Kylo go way back.”

“Doesn’t mean we’re close,” the man protested. “He’s not even close with his own mother!”

Rey couldn’t stomach any more. She was too tired of everyone’s bullshit. “Do I look like I care? You wanted me to take a break? Get me an interview.”

Poe looked like he wanted to protest. Finn patted his hand gently. “Please, babe, for me.”

The other man sighed. “OK, I might figure something out.”

Kylo winced behind his shades. The sun had no job of being this bright and either way it was too early for this shit. Yesterday, as per usual, he’d attended a party and it had gone exactly as expected. All those people, delighted to see him, but who wasn’t these days? The paparazzi had gotten their share of photos, he had done some mingling, at some point a busty blonde (or were there two?) had attached herself to his side, as it usually tended to happen. Kylo had never had problems with women, even before he had grown into his ears and started exercising regularly. They had been either attracted by his family’s name or wealth, and now they either got interested after one look at him in his bespoke suit or as soon as they found out who he was. Kylo had money, power, and connections; he was a hot commodity. The thing started to get old.

Where was he? Ah, the blonde. She had made goo-goo eyes and chatted his ears off, so naturally he’d ended up drifting toward the bar. The bartender had passed him a glass of Corellian whiskey without prompting (they all knew his tastes by this point), leaving him to muse on the prospect of turning into his own dad. The whiskey kept flowing, as usual. At some point Kylo ditched the boring blonde but not before the paparazzi got their shots. The rest was a blur. Not that it mattered. He could do whatever he wanted, he was the head of a business empire after all.

Not everyone agreed. Like, say, his mother or his right-hand man. What could be worse than a hangover from hell? An early morning ambush from Leia Organa and Armitage Hux while having a hangover from hell, that’s what.

“Honestly, Ben, take the glasses off,” his mother demanded in an absolutely unbearable voice. Kylo winced again, his head pounding. Reconciling with his family was the worst decision he’d ever made.

“You look even worse than expected,” Hux remarked with a pinched expression. No, the worst decision was to allow the insufferable ginger to meet his mother.

All his life Kylo was envious of Poe Dameron, the son his parents always _wanted_ , but only after Leia met Hux, a cunning, ambitious, and very anal strategist, had he realized that the ginger was the son his mother _needed_. Hux took to Leia and her meddling like a fish to water and suddenly Kylo’s life was micromanaged from all sides. Seeing the two together, in his experience, meant no good.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he drawled, unscrewing the lid on a new water bottle.

Hux silently dropped a stack of newspapers on his table. Kylo reluctantly glanced at it. He and the blonde from yesterday were entwined in an intimate embrace on the front pages and the titles included words like “scandal,” “break-up,” and “wedding.” Oh well.…

“Do you have anything to say?” his mother asked calmly, too calmly for his liking.

“Do I have to say something? I’m an adult, how I live my life is no concern of yours,” he rolled his eyes. A lecture on settling down wasn’t in his morning agenda.

“It is when it affects my career and _yours_ , too,” Leia dangerously narrowed her eyes. “Do you have any idea who this is? Liza Tarkin, the grand-daughter of Senator Tarkin, who before yesterday was engaged to one of the Hutts’ youngest sons. Today the wedding is off and the families are _not pleased_ ,” she said pointedly.

“So what?” Kylo rolled his eyes. Leave it to his mother to be worried about her political friends.

Leia took a calming breath. “You might not care about how it affects your family, but you _should_ care about your company.”

He scoffed, amused by his mother’s fantasies. “What does someone’s wedding have to do with it?”

Hux dropped some graphs on the top of the papers, making him wince from the noise.

“I don’t know if you’re aware that your behavior impacts the public image of the First Order, but it does,” he pointedly ignored Kylo’s eyeroll, “which is obvious from the way the shares dropped this morning. And here’s a correlation between the stunts you pulled and the share prices if you’re interested.”

“I ought to fire both you and Netal for this,” Kylo scowled, checking the graphs. As if they proved anything. The First Order wouldn’t be affected by something as mundane as that.

Hux smirked. “Please, do. But then the board will fire _you_.” Before Kylo could protest, the ginger continued. “Yes, you own forty-five percent of the company, but the other fifty-five? Not happy.”

“You’re overreacting,” Kylo responded, but without the previous fire. Was it possible that the board would do something that drastic? After all, that was how Snoke was let go.

“Perhaps,” Leia interjected with a smug little smile, “or perhaps you forget that the Hutts are one of your major suppliers. Now tell me, what’s going to happen if your contracts become void?”

He paled. It wasn’t possible. Why would the Hutts break a profitable agreement? Well, they had tried to renegotiate some conditions recently without success and they could be quite petty… Surely, it couldn’t affect _him_. The First Order was his baby, his legacy, losing his position was _inconceivable_. Not to mention how smug his parents will be. Shit.

“What do you propose?” he asked reluctantly, careful not to show the extent of his panic. If only he’d drunk less yesterday.…

Hux and Leia shared a look. “You might play it down by saying it was a misunderstanding.”

Kylo dubiously eyed the image of himself pawing at the girl’s ass. “They will buy it?”

His mother shrugged. “They will if you maintain you’re in a serious relationship.”

Now _that_ was funny. “Since when?” Kylo snorted.

“Since now,” Leia said sternly. “You’ll date and preferably marry a nice girl…”

“Absolutely not!”

“Or you’re going to have to explain _this_ to the Hutts _,_ ” she tapped the photo with a perfectly manicured finger and raised an eyebrow. “Your choice.”

Kylo knew that he’d lost. He couldn’t figure out any other way to deal with the issue ASAP and if it got to the board… Well, better to agree to this farce and find a way to back out later, when the Hutts calmed down.

“No marriage,” he demanded.

Surprisingly, Leia agreed. “OK.”

“And I pick the girl myself.”

His mother glanced at Hux and both shook their heads. “No.”

“Yes!” Kylo pressed, willing his face to turn into a mask of absolute determination.

“We retain the right of veto,” the ginger finally caved in.

“Agreed.”

“This is not going the way you think, Ben,” Leia warned him with narrow eyes.

Two could play this game. “We’ll see,” Kylo promised with a smirk. His mother patted his cheek like he was five and pursed her lips.

“Please shave. You look like a scoundrel.” With that she marched out of his office with Hux in tow, effectively retaining the last word.

Kylo dropped his face into his palms. “Fuck.”

He left his office in a fouler mood than he’d entered it. As his meds, graciously provided by Mitaka, kicked in, Kylo realized he had walked right into another of his mother's traps. Leia Organa was dying to make him settle down, probably because all of her friends already had grandkids. While previously their reconciliation had been too fresh to risk pressing him on it, lately she was relentless.

Kylo _hated_ it. Clearly, she was under the illusion that a serious relationship would somehow fix what was wrong with him in her eyes. _He_ didn't think there was anything wrong with him. For the first time in his life Kylo was free from any mentor figures telling him what to do and why he was doing it wrong. He was the master of his own fate and obviously he didn't need some arm candy to prove it.

In the last six years he'd avoided any relationships like the plague and was planning to continue doing so. The only difference between his companions of choice and his mother's "nice girls" was that the latter were trying to suck up to him subtly instead of being clear from the beginning. In the end it was always about power and connections. 

Besides, Kylo knew Leia's control issues. Years ago she refused to touch his grandfather's company with a ten-foot pole and forbade him to do so, but now that he was in charge she suddenly wanted to have a say in it, and what better way than through an easily influenced girl of her choice? So no, that wasn't going to happen.

Kylo stomped toward his car, expecting to get home and forget about the whole mess for the evening, and definitely not expecting to see a young woman hovering reverently over his custom Silencer.

“What do you think you're doing?” he snapped.

The girl jumped, looking like a kid trying to steal a cookie. “Oh, hi, I just like your car,” she smiled awkwardly.

Kylo frowned at her. “How did you get in here?” He had security all over the place for a reason. Sure, she didn’t look like a corporate spy, though her gray shift dress and modest heels made her look like someone attempting to be proper without knowing how.

The girl squirmed. “Um, I'm a friend of Poe's. Poe Dameron?”

Kylo rolled his eyes. Of course. He knew all about Poe's "friends," that man’s love life was notorious. Leave it to Dameron to drag his paramour here and ditch her on the premises. Why didn't his mother try to settle _him_ down, that was the question.

“And what’s a _friend_ of Poe's doing here?” he asked, already suspecting the answer.

The girl flushed.

“So, um, I wanted to meet you,” she looked at him from under her lashes shyly.

Ah, that Kylo understood. Her romance with Dameron didn't work out and so she tried to either branch out or to make her ex jealous. Same old, same old. But she was pretty, he had to give her that. And he did need to relieve some stress...

“Is that so, sweetheart?” he smirked at her, his voice becoming more husky. 

“Y-yes.” The girl stumbled back, clutching her bag, like a frightened deer.

“Do I meet your expectations?” Kylo murmured, stalking closer. Prey and predator, his favorite game.

“I, uh, actually expected to meet you in your office,” the girl stammered, looking at him with doe eyes, pressing herself against his car.

She looked all sweet and innocent, the little minx, and he had to admit, it did things to him.

“My office, huh? Naughty girl,” he whispered darkly, caging her against the Silencer. “Should I bend you over my knee?” His hand caressed her side lightly.

Her eyes flashed.

“Let me go, pervert!” she cried out to his surprise, suddenly spraying something at him, and then all Kylo knew was a terrible, horrible burning in his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The side effects of pepper spray ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My working from home time ended up abruptly and I'm extremely pouty about it.  
> On the brighter side, I've finally seen Emma and I loved it! Do tell me, are there Reylo Emma AUs?
> 
> A shout-out to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley.

Poe was _so_ dead. What sort of job interview was conducted in a parking lot? The asshole had just smiled and promised that it was the only place where Kylo was actually approachable. And left Rey alone. 

Ren was nothing like she expected. For instance, he was _huge_ , something the TV didn’t translate well. And he looked really pissed off (which, according to Poe, was fairly normal). Well, he wasn’t the first angry man Rey had had to deal with, she could handle it.

Or so she thought. Angry men were supposed to _yell_ , not to get all touchy-feely, which raised a whole different issue. What was the proper etiquette in turning your prospective employer down without ruining your chances to get the job?

Obviously that was _before_ Ren offered to bend her over his knee, Rey panicked, and the shit hit the fan. In her defense, it was Finn’s fault. _He_ bought her the spray in the first place, since apparently a properly applied knee wasn’t always reliable and beating someone with a stick was considered a bad self-defense practice. Pepper spray was classic, classy, and efficient, judging from the mad roars of the man in front of her. _And there went her dreams of an internship._

Ren made a perfect imitation of wounded bear sounds, rubbing his eyes furiously. “What did you do to me?! Acid?!”

“Pepper spray.” Rey’s voice was surprisingly steady, probably due to out-of-the-body moment she was having. How deep was the shit she just landed in?

“ _Pepper spray_?! Why the fuck did you spray me?!” he yelled, making her drop her jaw from the sheer audacity.

“You groped me!”

“You asked for it!”

“I _what_?!” Rey screeched indignantly. “Do you want me to spray you again?”

“Stay away from me, you crazy bitch!” He looked furious, but there was a hint of panic in his voice. _Good._

“Right back at you!” she retorted, readying the can.

“You attacked me!”

“You did first!”

“Oh really?” The effect from the spray wasn’t long-lasting, given Ren’s sarcastic tone. “Then why did you _wait_ near my car to ambush me?”

_Oops, he had her there._

“For a job interview,” Rey grumbled reluctantly, automatically adjusting her dress in a self-conscious gesture.

The man barked out a laugh.

“Is _that_ what it's called these days?” 

“Fuck you!” Rey answered defiantly.

“Not gonna happen,” he shot back, angrily rubbing his red swollen eyes. 

The asshole. She _should_ spray him again. What a disaster. Rey couldn’t believe she missed her shift at the café (and tips) for this… this… this _hot mess_.

“I'll fucking _kill_ Poe!”

“Get in line,” Ren muttered darkly. “This was _his_ idea, wasn’t it?”

“He didn't tell me you were a harasser,” she spat, furious with him, with Poe, with herself, with everything.

“Seriously? _That's_ what you're going with?” he asked incredulously. “ _You_ assaulted _me_.”

“I can do it again,” Rey promised, taking satisfaction in the way his throat bobbed.

“I dare you to try. My lawyers will sue you into the ground,” Ren attempted to sound menacing, but there was a nervous note in his voice.

“For self-defense?” 

“For _assault_. Prepare to be broke.”

Rey couldn’t hold back a snort. “Pfff. I already am.”

His smile became truly vicious. “Oh, sweetheart, just wait and see. You're so going to regret this.”

_Oh crap._ How far could a rich pissed asshole go? That he had the means to ruin her life Rey had no doubt. What resources did she have to protect herself? Nothing. She was truly getting scared, and when Rey got scared, she became _angry_.

“Is that how you treat all your victims?” she hissed furiously.

Ren paused his eye-rubbing. “My what?”

“The other girls you harassed? Threaten them so they keep quiet?”

“What are you talking about?” He sounded genuinely bewildered, but she’d already gone too far to consider that.

“Because they _asked for it_ , right?”

“What the fuck?” Ren looked offended. “I'm not a rapist.”

Rey scoffed. “I beg to differ.”

“You're insane. Women _throw_ themselves at me.”

“Like I apparently did?” she demanded angrily. “Oh, I see where this is going. You’re a white rich dude, so you can take whatever you want?!”

He furiously worked his jaw for a moment. “You think you can avoid a lawsuit? No such luck.”

Rey held his gaze (as much as you could do with a person whose eyes were basically swollen shut).

“You know what, sue me. Go on, do it. _I'll_ go to the media and tell them _everything_.”

“No one will believe you.” Ren seemed confident, but there was a tiny tremor in his voice.

She desperately latched on it.

“Try me. It's the _"Me too"_ age, how many others are out there, hmm?”

“You're bluffing.”

“Am I?”

For a few moments, Ren was calculating the odds. Rey barely suppressed a smile when she saw his shoulders dropping.

“OK, OK, fine, let's talk like adults.”

“So there _are_ others,” she said triumphantly. The asshole!

“There are no _others_!” he snapped angrily. “This is some crazy misunderstanding. I know what _no_ means, I’m a feminist, for fuck’s sake!”

“No, you're an average creep,” Rey snorted.

“And you're batshit crazy, so?” he shot back.

“So?”

“We're at an impasse.”

“I guess,” she conceded reluctantly.

“Let's talk,” Ren offered.

“Talk.”

He worked his jaw again, thinking.

“Help me get back to my office,” he finally said.

Rey eyed him suspiciously. “How do I know you won't kill me and get rid of my body?”

“How do I know you won't kill _me_ and get rid of _my_ body? _You're_ the one with the spray,” Ren pointed out.

“It's harmless.”

“Tell that to my eyes.”

“Fine,” she begrudgingly agreed, tentatively offering him her hand. Why did she have a feeling she was going to regret it?

Ren grabbed her firmly, squinting through his swollen eyes.

“That way,” he pointed when she tried to herd him to the main entrance. “I have a private elevator.”

“Of fucking course.”

His office looked exactly like a rich Forbes asshole’s office was supposed to look, complete with a giant table and a glass wall with a gorgeous view. Ren even had an adjacent suite and a bathroom, with a _literal bath_ in it.

“Unbelievable,” Rey muttered under her breath. How could someone have so much money and be such an ass? Right, the answer was in the question.

“You read my mind,” he grumbled back, critically examining his face in the bathroom mirror. The sting from the spray was gone, but the swelling was still there.

“Should I remind you that I can spray you again?” she asked politely.

“Keep talking like that and I'll call security.”

“And enjoy the morning news? I don't think so, no.”

They regarded each other like adversaries on a battlefield. Ren lost his patience first.

“What do you want?”

“A job,” Rey stated firmly.

He rolled his eyes. “I'm not hiring an escort.”

“ _Excuse me?!_ ”

“Nor a bouncer.”

“Now you're asking for another spraying,” she said lowly.

“I mean, I have enemies, but sending _you_ as an assassin is just too cruel,” Ren drawled.

“I think you're forgetting our agreement.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What agreement?”

Rey huffed. “Fine, let me look up how to contact The Coruscant Times.”

“Go ahead if you want to be sued for defamation, too,” he smirked confidently, suddenly all cocky again.

Rey couldn’t help herself. “My god, you're such an ass.”

“Said the hellcat. Dameron has terrible taste, I must say,” he disapprovingly shook his head.

“What?”

“I mean, his exes are always nuts, but you...”

“ _Me_?” Rey asked, baffled.

“He just can't keep his pants on,” Ren kept musing. “Such a manwhore.”

She gaped. Now _that_ was rich. “What are you talking about? The only manwhore here is you! Poe has been in a committed relationship with my friend for more than a year.”

The man was taken aback. “He what? Well, at least he has some taste then.” He chuckled at Rey’s enraged expression. “You're aggressive, volatile, and downright rude, I can't imagine a position for which you'd be...” His eyes suddenly bugged, making him look on the precipice of a heart attack, “ _perfect_.”

“What now?” Rey asked warily.

“You're perfect!” Ren breathed out with awe.

She started to panic again.

“Stay where you are,” the girl warned, reaching for the spray.

Ren ignored it, shaking his head violently.

“You don't understand, I need you to be my girlfriend.”

“Fuck no!” Rey cried out indignantly. “You seriously want to get into my pants _this much_? Unbelievable.”

Ren huffed. “No, listen. I want you to _pretend_ to be my girlfriend.”

“Why would I do that?” she looked at him suspiciously.

“How much do you want this job?” he prodded.

Rey considered her options. “Why would _you_ want that?”

“Um,” the man faltered. “Let's just say _certain people_ in the company want to set me up in a relationship, for the optics. If I tell them I will only date _you_ , they will have to leave me alone.”

“Oh really?” she asked dubiously.

“Like I said, you're a downright barbarian and unfit for polite society. Mom will have a fit the second she sees you.” His eyes rounded when he realized that he had slipped. “Shit!”

Rey couldn’t help it, she laughed. “The mighty Kylo Ren is afraid of his mom!”

“Forget I said anything,” he grumbled.

“No, this is too rich,” she choked out, wiping the tears.

“ _Stop_!” he ordered. “Stop right now. Or the deal is off.”

“Let me get this straight,” Rey still shook from her feat, “I show up, your mom vetoes me as your fake girlfriend, I get a job, and we never see each other again?”

“Precisely.”

“I need to think.”

Ren narrowed his eyes. “Take it or leave it. Now.”

She glared at him. “OK, fine. On one condition – no funny business involved whatsoever.”

“I'm not out of my mind,” he scoffed like the mere idea pained him. The conceited ass!

“Great. Let's do it.”

Ren let out a breath. “We have a deal. Give me your number and I’ll let you know when and where you're needed.”

Rey carefully scribbled the digits on the paper pad he passed her, stubbornly avoiding skin-to-skin contact. “And no suing.”

He rolled his eyes. “Obviously. You can go. The door is out there.” He didn’t even get up to show her out.

“Fine.” Like she needed a gentleman to help her find the door.

“Wait. What's your name?” Ren stopped her at the last second.

She had half a mind to lie to him, but the job was too important. “Rey.”

“Rey.” He tried the name on his tongue making it sound like.... Well, it wasn’t important. Not at all.

Kylo drummed his fingers on his desk in anticipation. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was about to beat his mother at her own game. _Graciously_. He was an adult, for fuck’s sake; he was capable of making his own decisions, without his family, or mentor, or colleagues telling him what to do. And little Miss Rey was going to help him.

He couldn’t believe that he had been attracted to her innocent looks at first. Clearly, she was anything but! A true hellcat, vicious little thing, no bark, pure bite. Sure, Rey was visually appealing, Kylo had to give her that, but she was also volatile, unpredictable, aggressive, without tact or breeding or anything his mother thought necessary in his prospective partner. Just a little feral scrappy sand goblin, that’s what she was. Ah, this meeting was going to be _so much fun_.

Right on cue his PA Mitaka alerted him to visitors. Ren smirked.

“Mother, Hux.”

Leia graciously took a seat, looking all business, the ginger following her suit.

“I take it you want to continue our discussion,” she smiled serenely, clearly expecting him to argue. _Not this time, mother._

“Precisely,” Kylo supplied.

She nodded knowingly. “So you _do_ need my help?”

He was barely able to contain a smile. “On the contrary, I found a perfect candidate for you.”

“What’s the catch?” Hux butted in without preamble.

Kylo adopted a look of offended innocence. “What catch?”

Leia scoffed. “Benjamin, I was in labor with you for thirty-six hours, I know you, and I can tell when you’re omitting something.”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh really? Never noticed.” For that she would have had to at least tried to stick around twenty years ago.

“Kylo, don’t,” warned the ginger irritant.

“I’m not doing anything. Whose side are you on anyway, Hux?”

“My own,” the ginger informed him in a clipped tone. “Now, what’s wrong with the girl?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kylo maintained.

His mother sighed. “Benny, every single girl you’ve dated in the past- six? Ten? -years had something fake: teeth, breasts, or personality. So what is it?”

“Nothing you’ve listed. She’s pure, unadulterated,” _infernal creature of doom_ , “girlfriend material,” he finished smoothly.

Leia gave him an incredulous look. “So when are we going to meet this marvelous paragon of virtue?” 

Kylo checked his wrist watch. “I would say now.” 

As if on cue the girl barged through the door, looking like she had run all thirty floors up there, all flushed cheeks and mussed hair. _Perfect_.

“Sorry I’m late.”

He grinned widely. “Mother, Hux, meet Rey.” He could practically see how the two took in her worn shoes, ill-fitting jeans, and oversized T-shirt. Yep, a perfect future Mrs. Ren, at your service.

“Good afternoon,” Rey greeted politely, unsure what to do. 

“Nice to meet you, dear,” Leia smiled, offering her a seat. “I’m Leia Organa, Ben’s mother, and this is Armitage Hux, the COO of the First Order.”

Kylo frowned. Why wasn’t his mother running screaming for the hills yet? This wasn’t going how he thought it would.

“Mrs. Organa, I’ve heard so much about you,” the girl beamed excitedly.

The woman looked surprised. “Please call me Leia. Benny told you about his family?”

“Oh, um, no, my friend Poe works for you.”

He saw the moment his mother’s smile morphed from just polite to sincere. _Oh shit._

“You know Poe Dameron?”

“He dates my best friend.”

Leia hummed, no doubt already planning an interrogation. “How interesting. Tell us about yourself, Rey.”

The girl straightened in her seat. “Oh, I’ve got a CV with me.” She passed a copy to Leia and another to Hux, carefully avoiding looking at Kylo.

He scowled, annoyed. “Seriously?”

The ginger shot him a warning glare. “ _Behave._ By the way, are you British?” he asked Rey.

She nodded. “Yes, I was born in London.”

Only then did Kylo realize they shared a similar posh accent. _Double shit._ He had a bad feeling he was well and truly fucked.

“That’s far from home,” Hux commented.

Rey squirmed. “Um, my foster father is from here. He’s the only relative who agreed to take care of me.”

_Oh no, not the poor little orphan card._ Kylo was ready to throttle himself for the lack of due diligence. Why of all possible candidates did he pick _her?_

“Are you adopted?” Leia asked with interest, looking at Hux meaningfully.

“No, not adopted, just…”

“I see,” she nodded, noticing the girl’s obvious discomfort. “And you’re a student? Coruscant?”

“Yes.” 

_Bloody hell!_ She was also a student of the best fucking university in the country?!

Leia’s eyes widened with respect. “ _Ben_ couldn’t handle Coruscant, he had to drop out.”

He scowled. “I didn’t have to, I _wanted_ to.”

“That’s an impressive GPA,” Hux commented off-handedly.

Rey nodded. “It’s one of my scholarship stipulations.”

“And you have work experience, too?”

She sighed. “Not anything relevant, I was hoping the First Order had an internship position…”

The ginger hummed. “With such grades? We would be honored to offer you an internship.”

_What the hell?!_

“You’re a very accomplished young woman, Rey,” Leia complimented. “What do you think, Armitage?”

The ginger’s lips curled into a smile. “Indeed. Just consider the whole Cinderella angle. If we spin it correctly, the effect would be instantaneous.”

Kylo growled. _What the fuck was happening?_ “You're kidding.”

“As much as I'm surprised, this time you did the job better than I could,” his mother responded calmly.

Rey looked between them, befuddled. “Excuse me?”

“Yes, dear?”

“What are you saying?”

Leia grinned widely. “Congratulations, Rey, you're my son's new fake girlfriend.”

The girl’s eyes widened in pure horror. “I…”

“What's your stance on PDA?” the woman continued, seemingly oblivious to her reaction.

“Minimal,” interjected Hux, “we're going for a very wholesome image.”

“Wait, you can't be serious,” Rey gasped, gobsmacked.

“I very much am,” Leia said confidently. “Ben needs to clean up his act and you, my dear, are perfect.”

“Beautiful, smart, driven, of humble origins, completely self-made- a nice break from his bad boy image,” Hux added, already making notes on the subject.

“The press is going to have a field day,” Leia concluded to Kylo’s sheer horror.

“ _The press_?” Rey squeaked.

“Of course, and you'll have to sign an NDA, dear.”

The ginger nodded. “We’ll have a whole strategy developed.”

“Do I have any say in it?” Kylo growled, unable to believe how everything had spun out of control.

Leia and Hux shared a look.

“No.”

Rey looked like she was seconds from passing out. His mother patted her shoulder gently.

“Don't worry, you're in good hands.” 

The girl turned to Kylo with a terror that matched his own.

_Well, fuck._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo thinks he has it covered, but he underestimates Rey. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a distinct feeling that my country has gone crazy, so fic time it is.
> 
> Many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley.

Kylo could only gape at the woman who had given him life and then made it her personal mission to complicate it. This was _not_ what he had expected. Not at all. He had two choices: pride or self-preservation. The latter won.

“Mom. Mom, _no_.”

Leia looked at him blankly. “No what?”

“We can’t! Not her.”

His mother sighed exasperatedly. “Benny, we have been over it. You found Rey and you’re right, she’s perfect.”

“She’s a feral little gremlin,” he spat.

Leia rolled her eyes.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” she scoffed, “just because she isn’t as glossed over as you’re used to.”

Ben’s jaw dropped in shocked outrage. “Are you kidding? She fucking _pepper sprayed my face_.”

Leia’s eyes hardened instantly. “What did you do?”

And damn, it didn’t surprise him one bit that he was the first to be blamed, but it _stung_.

“Excuse me?”

“Rey is a perfectly nice girl,” Leia said with conviction. “What did you do, Ben?”

“Why is it always _my_ fault?” he growled. “You aren’t even concerned that I could have been hurt?!”

His mother eyed him sceptically. “You seem fine. So?”

Kylo gritted his teeth. As much as he was stung by his mother’s assumptions, there was a _hint_ of truth to it. “There might have been a misunderstanding. She misinterpreted my intentions…” he winced, remembering what followed next, “regarding her person.”

“Goodness gracious, Ben, you didn’t ask her consent?” Leia shrieked, appalled.

“Well, she seemed…”

“Explicit consent, Benjamin!,” the woman chastised him. “Your grandmother is rolling in her grave.”

“Which one?” Kylo asked snidely.

Leia sighed.

“Please not again?”

“Why not? You return to your old patterns, I return to mine,” he snapped.

She levelled him with her gaze. “Don’t be a child.”

“Don’t treat me as one.”

“Keep this behaviour up and I’ll…” Leia trailed off.

“And you’ll what? Complain to my Board? Call a press-conference?” Kylo leaned closer. “What, mother? Why are you so dead-set on meddling in my life and this company now, when for so many years you had no interest in either?”

The blow landed right. Leia jerked back with wide eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t the mother you wanted. I’m sorry I wanted nothing from this legacy but that I didn’t give you the same choice.” She looked him in the eye. “But I am trying to do better _now_. I’m trying to _protect_ you.”

Kylo scoffed. “By setting me up with a random street rat?”

“By keeping intact the only thing you care about,” his mother stated, “your company. You think you’re so smart, you keep everything under control. You forget you don’t have an absolute majority. You can still be ousted.” She looked at him meaningfully. “Just like you did with Snoke.”

It was Kylo’s time to recoil. “You’re wrong. I did everything to ensure the First Order…”

“ _Did_ ,” Leia pointed out. “Not _are doing_. You generated ideas that brought in billions in revenue, now you keep staining the company’s reputation. You spend your energy on alcohol and women while there are people after your seat.”

He pinched his lips in displeasure. She wasn’t exactly wrong, but… “Improbable.”

“You think?” Leia arched her perfect eyebrow. “The rumours are going around. Armitage’s father hinted he should find a new job. A member of your board, mind you.”

Kylo huffed. The Huxes!

“Brendol is…”

“Yes, he is, and so are Krennic, and Erso, and Rae and others,” Leia interjected. “Your actions have consequences. Blame me for your childhood, Ben, but _this_ is not my doing. Grow up.” With that she walked out of his office, once again retaining the last word.

Kylo gritted his teeth. Why did any conversation with her leave him unhinged? It was uncanny how his mother could still get a rise out of him. More than ten years to distance himself from his family, to become his own man – and for what? Nothing ever changed.

As a kid, little Ben was dying for a mere scrap of his parents’ attention. But how could he ever compete with rainforests or polluted oceans or racing cars? “Be a good boy,” his nanny of the week would tell him and he did, naïve as he was. Then his mother would lobby this and that, his father would pose for another magazine cover and Ben would get a perfunctory shoulder pat once in a while. What was the point of being good?

So he decided to just not. _That_ did get him some attention. His mother was _so_ disappointed to be distracted her from her important job; his father couldn’t care less. Eventually Leia’s patience snapped and she shipped her inconvenient son to live with her brother.

Surprisingly, Kylo took an interest in his uncle’s work, always being good with math and science. Suddenly the tables had turned. Ben found himself in engineering, something that he both enjoyed and that made his parents proud. Naturally, Leia decided he should attend Coruscant, where Luke was teaching. It went as well as expected. The stuffy, conservative university suffocated Ben, making the bright, creative teen feel like a failure again and again. It would have probably ended badly if not for a sudden windfall.

The day after his eighteenth birthday, Ben was approached by a Mr. Grievous, an attorney who informed him of a sudden inheritance. Apparently Ben had a whole other set of grandparents who had left him this sizeable inheritance, including a massive amount of shares in one of the world’s biggest automobile companies.

Hearing the news, Leia was first at a loss for words, but then regained them with double force. Surely, he would turn it down. It would be wrong, no, _evil_ to touch that company with a ten-foot pole. She then launched into the love story of a young environmentalist and a scientist that ended in a nasty divorce, mutual accusations, and a separated pair of twins. Surely, what must be wrong with him to even consider that proposition?

But Ben heard something different in the story: a woman who had cared more about her public image than her husband, to the point that she made sure said husband wouldn’t raise their kids even after her death. The kids, who were dead set now to keep Ben from the only place he might belong for their own public image. Yes, that conversation went well.

The confrontation with his uncle was the last push Ben needed to drop out of Coruscant and join Snoke, the CEO of the First Order and his grandfather’s executor. Desperate for an ounce of acceptance, the young man latched on to him, doing everything to deserve the honour of being Snoke’s mentee, renouncing his name and connections. Too late, Kylo realized that it had meant nothing, as the only thing Snoke cared about was his control over the First Order. His insistence that Kylo shouldn’t focused too long on engineering or design or management, his penchant for making him compete with Hux, it was solely a means of distraction. Snoke’s uncompromising ways were doing more harm than good, the board wasn’t happy, and eventually Kylo made his move. Teaming up with Hux was probably his most brilliant idea; together they won the board over and made Snoke resign.

Finally taking control over the First Order, Kylo made many improvements to their products, even launched the electric car line he had dreamed about. He worked hard, he won, and he deserved recognition. He decided to reconcile with his family. And for what? His mother still tried to control him, his father didn’t care, and who knew what his uncle was up to?

No, looking for validation was the same mistake his grandfather had made. Family, friends, lovers, mentors – they all tried to betray him. Work _never_ did.

He should focus on what was truly important, clean up his act, and make sure his position remained unchallenged. He could be a responsible adult, calm, smart, confident. He knew what he had to do.

Mitaka knocked on his door, startling him.

“Sir, Mr. Hux asked for your signature.”

The hellcat's lab authorization? Kylo’s eyes bulged.

“What the fuck is this?!”

Rey hesitantly followed Mr. Hux to her first real job interview, almost jumping out of her skin when he paused to bark some orders at his subordinates. She had begun to suspect that deep down every exec here was at least a bit unhinged.

“Please take a seat. This is Gwendolyn Phasma, the head of HR,” he introduced the woman. “Gwen, met Rey Niima, our new intern and, coincidentally, Ren’s girlfriend.”

Rey was already reeling from the previous conversation and the reminder, coupled with the stare from the Amazonian blonde, made her squirm.

“Oh,” Miss Phasma’s eyes rounded as she took a peek at Rey’s CV. “Color me impressed. Let’s go over paperwork today?”

“Impressed how?” Rey blurted. She was becoming self-conscious in her old clothes, surrounded by people wearing expensive, perfectly fitted designer suits.

Miss Phasma gave her a pensive once-over. “Allow me to be blunt: Kylo doesn’t go for brains over boobs.”

“First time for everything?” Rey smiled wryly.

Phasma chuckled. “I like her.”

What a relief.

“Rey, I’m sure you have questions your _boyfriend_ didn’t cover,” Hux interjected, his lips quirking slightly.

She frowned. Now that she could ask, her brain blanked.

“Um, is everyone here this tall?” Rey blurted, wincing at her own stupidity.

“Yes, height and daddy issues are our two main prerequisites for an executive position,” Phasma responded with a straight face.

“Good thing I’m only an engineer.” Wow, she’d made a joke! “So, you’re responsible for HR, and you, Mr. Hux?”

“In short, I make sure things run smoothly while moonlighting as Kylo’s nanny,” Hux answered evenly. “Mary Poppins is British for a reason.”

“I make sure he has the people to run the place and clean up the messes he doesn’t have time to clean. You have to get used to that in this field of work,” Phasma responded with amusement.

“Oh.” They have a sense of humor. That’s good, right? “What kind of position will I have?” 

“Interns usually shadow, let’s say, a junior engineer in your case,” Hux explained. “How about Miss Tico?” 

Phasma nodded. “Excellent choice. Miss Tico is far more approachable than Dr. Pryde.”

Rey didn’t have a chance to ask anything else as suddenly the door opened and Leia waltzed in.

“Oh, good, you’re still here. Do you have some time? I’d like you to meet the girls.”

 _The girls_ turned out to be two perfectly put together Instagram models (or so she assumed).

“Bazine Netal,” Leia introduced a brunette with a sleek ponytail, “she’s in charge of PR, and Kaydel Connix is my PA,” she nodded toward a friendly-looking blonde. “They are aware of your situation.”

“Hi?” Rey offered awkwardly. Just standing near these gorgeous ladies filled her with trepidation, like it was high school all over again.

“Hi,” Kaydel beamed like a kid who got a new toy. “Oh, she’s _perfect_ , isn’t she?”

Bazine nodded, eyeing her with curiosity. “Definitely an interesting project. Rey, when was the last time you went shopping?” she asked.

“Shopping?”

Bazine pursed her lips. “I see. Then how about now?”

“Now? I don’t… I mean I can’t…” Rey sputtered in horror.

Leia smiled.

“Oh, Sweetheart, don’t worry, everything is taken care of.”

“I can’t just waste your money...”

The older woman’s smile turned evil. “Who said it was mine? It’s coming straight from Benny’s account.”

That efficiently soothed Rey’s conscience. Served him right.

“You know what, I’m open to shopping.”

On their way, Bazine and Kaydel made use of the time by peppering Rey with questions.

“What is your favourite designer? Boutique? Store?”

“Like a thrift store?” she asked tentatively.

The girls shared a look.

“OK, that’s fine.”

“What’s your style?” Kaydel tried. “What kind of clothes do you prefer?”

Rey blinked. Fashion was the least of her concerns. “Comfortable? Not… not like flashy, or sparkly, or sexy, or anything. Or heels. Please no heels. I don’t want to look like those women in magazines…”

“Oh, you won’t,” Bazine interjected. “Not if I have any say in it.”

Whether that was supposed to be reassuring remained the question.

The little boutique Rey found herself in was not as scary as she expected, but still as alien as Mars. Kaydel instantly flung herself at the gorgeous dark-skinned woman who apparently owned the store.

“Jannah! Look whom I brought you. Benji’s new girlfriend, Rey,” she beamed. “We need you to turn her into a princess.”

“Not too princess-y, please,” Rey requested nervously.

Jannah eyed her with interest. “Hmm, let’s see what I can do.”

Apparently, she could do quite a lot. She, Kaydel, and Bazine assembled a veritable war counsel, discussing palettes, cuts, colourings, exchanging links on Pinterest, and going through fashion magazines. In the end they put together a nice color scheme of beiges, browns, greens and blues, with occasional brighter colours. The girls even managed to sneak in a couple of dresses “for dates,” something Rey never usually wore. She was particularly fond of a deep green knee-length silk knit number.

“Now hair and make-up,” Kaydel announced. “What brands do you use?”

“Your foundation, to begin with,” Bazine asked enthusiastically as Rey looked at her blankly. “Highlighter? Concealer? Powder? Blush? Mascara? Lipstick?” With every word her frown deepened.

“I have lipgloss,” Rey offered weakly.

“Which one?”

“Er, a drugstore one?”

The girls shared meaningful looks and called for reinforcements.

One saloon appointment later Rey sported a new curly bob, nude nails, neutral make-up, and a whole new outfit that both looked nice and suited her.

“I look… beautiful,” she said to her reflection in amazement.

“You _looked_ beautiful before,” Bazine corrected. “Now you also look put together.”

“Benny Boy won’t know what hit him,” Kaydel said with a wicked grin.

Rey thought about her trusty pepper spray.

“Oh, he already does,” she murmured distractedly.

Eager to start her internship and confident in her new clothes, Rey happily marched into the HR office.

“Miss Phasma,” she greeted.

The blonde looked at her with an unreadable expression. “Bright and early?”

“I’m so excited to start today!”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. You’re wearing jeans,” the woman explained.

Rey frowned. “Is that a problem?”

“Administration is not allowed to wear jeans outside of casual days,” Phasma recited customarily.

“But in the labs…”

Phasma’s expression turned apologetic. “I’m afraid you are not approved for work in the labs.”

Rey’s eyes rounded. “By whom?”

“By Mr. Ren.”

The asshole should thank his lucky stars he wasn’t in the vicinity right now.

“That fu--”

“Miss Niima,” Phasma stopped her sternly. “Look at the bright side. You’re to shadow a PA of my choice. It’s a great opportunity.”

“For a future engineer?!” she cried out angrily.

“Miss Niima, Rey,” the other woman said placatingly, “you can’t antagonize your boss…”

“My _boss_?!”

Phasma winced. “Your boyfriend, like _this_.”

“Watch me,” Rey snapped. “Wait, what do you mean _like this_?”

“ _Directly_ ,” the woman responded. “I suggest you take advantage of your current position,” she continued, ignoring Rey’s look of outrage. “You can learn a lot from Mr. Mitaka. After all, he’s Kylo’s PA.”

That gave her pause. “What are you saying?”

“Nothing,” Phasma responded innocently. “Just learn wherever you can. And please tone down the PDA; as you know, your boyfriend gets _dreadfully_ embarrassed.”

Rey bit her lip. “How _unfortunate_.”

“Quite,” Phasma smiled fleetingly. “Well, Miss Niima, I don’t have all day.”

“Sorry, sorry.” The second Rey was out of the office she grabbed her phone. “Hey, Kaydel? I need your help.”

Kylo strode purposefully toward his office, determined to make the best of his newfound conviction. Coincidentally, his morning was starting with a strategy meeting, providing him with the perfect opportunity to start showing a difference. Or so he thought, before he saw Rey hovering over his PA like it was the most natural thing in the world. _Rey_ , the insufferable hellcat, outside his office, smiling and wearing god-damned pastel pink. Kylo discretely pinched himself. The vision didn’t disappear. Worse, she turned and beamed at him.

“Hello, my darling!” she cooed, throwing herself at him. “I’m so happy to see you!”

It was completely surreal.

“What’s going on?” Kylo demanded, as much as one can demand in a state of shock, while being hugged.

Mitaka looked at him curiously over his glasses. “Sir, you didn’t tell me that your girlfriend would be my intern.”

“What?”

“He’s so forgetful, right?” Rey responded sweetly. “We all are fools in love.”

Kylo’s eye twitched. “A word,” he gritted, pulling Rey into his office. The second Rey closed the door he rounded at her. “Stop that shit right now.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she answered innocently, making his eye twitch again.

“You _do_. This whole manic pixie dream girl shit,” he gestured toward her pastel dress, curled hair and cute shoes. “Cut the crap.”

The girl batted her lashes. “Maybe you should send me away? To the labs?”

“Over my dead body,” Kylo responded through clenched teeth. This woman was going to give him a heart attack sooner rather than later.

Whatever else the minx had in store he didn’t find out since Mitaka knocked on his door.

“Mr. Ren, Kijimi Inc. is calling.”

Waving the insufferable woman out, Kylo took the call, calming himself down to focus on the important things. He fully expected Rey to leave him in peace, a hope that was dashed the second he emerged to see her chatting with his executives and offering them _fucking homemade cookies_ from polka-dotted Tupperware. Kylo’s eye twitched _hard_.

“…exactly like my grandmother’s!” Canady praised with a dopey smile.

The man had a fucking stick up his ass and he smiled because of cookies?!

“Aww, thank you, sir, you’re so sweet!” Rey cooed, a poster girl from fifties ads.

Hux and Phasma had to hide smirks.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?” Peavey crooned, touching Rey’s hand.

Kylo saw red; somehow the gesture pissed him off even more than Rey’s obnoxious theatrics. No one could touch his pain in ass!

He stormed over but didn’t have a chance to do anything. The girl, probably hearing his teeth grinding, plastered the brightest smile on her face and clung to his arm.

“Darling! My Benny-Poo works so hard!” she conspiratorially whisper-shouted to the grateful audience.

Kylo’s eye froze mid-twitch.

“Benny-Poo,” he repeated blankly.

“The meeting, sir,” Mitaka reminded him nervously, sensing a coming explosion.

“Get in.” Kylo yanked open his office door furiously and glared at his staff. “This is not over,” he hissed into Rey’s ear.

She smiled sweetly.

“Whatever you say _, sugar_.”

How he managed to get through the meeting without having an aneurysm was a mystery. Especially when Kylo realized that his nemesis was still there, sharing cookies and office gossip with idle assistants and then looking at him like he was her personal meal ticket. His eye twitched _again_. The assistants scattered instantly. Rey had the audacity to smile.

“Miss Niima, _a word_.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo has a startling revelation and Rey finally gets her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who hasn't abandoned her WIPs! I swear, I'm working on them, I Take Thee included.
> 
> On a totally unrelated note, who also watches ITV Victoria? It's literally begging to be turned into a Reylo AU. Just look at those cinnamon rolls, look at their height difference😍 Seriously, we need ALL the Victoria AUs, the more the better!
> 
> A shout-out to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley

Kylo slammed the door shut and rounded on the insufferable woman. To humiliate him like that! How  _dared_ she?

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

His employees always lost their shit just from hearing this tone. Rey, though, simply batted her lashes innocently.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” she responded primly, though the defiant glint in her eyes was as clear as day.

Kylo growled.

“Quit the bullshit. I _know_ what’s going on.”

Rey cocked her head. “You do? Ah, you do,” she drawled, her tone extra saccharine. “Care to enlighten me?”

_No one_ in their sane mind talked to him like that, not without backup anyway. The girl must be insane, that was the only explanation.

“What game are you playing, scavenger? You think Hux or my mother will protect you?” Kylo demanded, straightening to his full height, his favorite negotiation tactic.

The little hellcat refused to be intimidated; her hazel eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Game?” she scoffed, no longer the sweet and pliant kitten from before. “I, unlike you, am following our agreement.”

Kylo sputtered. “What the fuck? You got the job, be grateful!”

“The glorified secretary job?! Oh, thank you very much!” Rey threw at him indignantly. “I spent years studying engineering to push papers? Hell no!” she announced, her hands on her hips in a power stance, her defiance palpable.

“What did you expect? For me to personally invite you into the labs? For me to share trade secrets?” he demanded incredulously. The audacity of her! “You’re a walking security breach.”

“And you’re a walking dumpster fire,” she retorted with no hesitation.

Kylo gritted his teeth. “Careful, sweetheart, I can make sure you’ll never work for any reputable company ever again.”

Rey dramatically rolled her eyes.

“I’m shivering. You think I’m afraid of you?”

The question threw him for a loop. Everyone was afraid, or at least wary, of him, but not  _her_ .  _Never_ her. It did things to him, whether he liked it or not. 

“You should be,” Kylo growled, too consumed with his emotions to think clearly. “I have enough power to make you disappear from this city. You think you can fight me? You came from nothing, you are nothing-”

“But not to you, apparently,” Rey angrily interjected, “since you’ve got your panties in a twist over me. Oh yes, I know everything about you, the mighty Kylo Ren,” she mocked him, to his shock.

“Do you now?”

“You think I’m nothing? Then what are _you_?” Rey demanded, her gaze piercing right through him and making him squirm.

“I’m a self-made man,” he shot back, anger and frustration urging him to prove himself to her, to show that he was _worthy_. Worthy of what? He didn’t know.

“That’s funny,” Rey grinned wickedly. “And here I thought you’re just another little rich boy.”

“You…” Kylo choked on her audacity.

“ _You_ ,” Rey angrily jabbed his chest with an accusing finger, “were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, spoiled and pampered beyond belief, given the best opportunities in life.”

Her words landed right on a sore spot. Kylo saw red.

“You don’t know anything about me! You have no idea what I went through!”

“Aw, did your horrible family give you too much?” she threw at him mockingly, her face full of righteous fury.

That  _hurt_ . He had heard this accusation all his life and was fucking fed up. Kylo loomed over her menacingly.

“How dare you?! Everything I have I made for myself!”

“In a company you oh so conveniently inherited!” Rey spat back with fury, her hazel eyes turned completely green. “You think you know hard work? _You don’t_! You don’t know what it’s like to scrap parts since you were a kid! To get yourself through school working three jobs at once! To be denied every single good thing in life because you’re a poor girl from nowhere!” 

She was standing too close now and suddenly Kylo was frozen in place, mesmerized by her.

“You think you made yourself? _I_ made myself, from scratch, with tears and blood and sweat. Every single thing in my life is earned through backbreaking work. Can you say the same?” She jabbed his chest sharply. “ _Can_ you?”

He opened his mouth to retort, to brush off the accusation, ready to find words to throw back into her furious, beautiful, spirited face and then his dick twitched.  _Hard_ . Kylo snapped his mouth shut in terrified mortification, suddenly excruciatingly aware of the situation in his pants. The very  _tight_ situation. Panic followed. This couldn’t be happening to him. It just couldn’t.

“That’s what I thought,” Rey snorted, interpreting his silence in her own way, her voice oddly tinted with disappointment.

She turned on her heels sharply and marched out of his office, leaving him standing there, consumed by a mix of acute horror, begrudging admiration, and potent arousal.

She refrained from slamming the door to that pompous moron’s office by sheer force of will and plastered a smile on her face so as not to scare poor Dopheld. The guy was anxious enough already.

“I’m leaving for lunch,” she threw over her shoulder on her way to the office kitchen. If something could get her through this day, it was food. Bless Finn for giving her the leftovers from their last dinner together, Rey was a shitty cook.

She opened her container and stabbed a piece of potato with extra vigor. Ugh, this man was driving her crazy! Why did he have to be like that? Push all her buttons at once, yet look at her like he wanted to get inside her head? Or something else, knowing his reputation. _Men._

“Hello, Rey.”

She jumped, startled as Bazine and Hux joined her table suddenly.

“Hey.” Her voice didn’t even waver too much. That was great, right?

“We’d like to talk with you a bit about your little performance,” Hux started without preamble, making Rey gulp. Had Kylo already complained? Was she fired? Would she have to work for Plutt again? Not that. Anything but that.

That horrendous man had loomed over her life for so long, “taking care” of her after her parents left, making her work at his scrapyard and in his shop, doing what he could to make her fail school and just stay working for him. The things he called her when she told him she was quitting…

“Um, well, you see…” she stammered, suddenly panicking. “I’m sorry.”

Hux and Bazine shared a bewildered look.

“No, it was fine,” the woman responded.

“Just tone it down a little. _Benny Poo_ was overkill,” the ginger winced a little.

Rey blinked at them. She wasn’t fired?

“OK?”

“This might not be _quite_ the vibe we’re going for,” Bazine delivered pensively, “but generally it went pretty great. The cookies were a chef’s kiss. You bake?”

 _Wait, what?_ Her little show of pettiness was _great_?

“No, that’s my friend,” Rey confessed. Finn’s cookies were the eighth world wonder, that’s for sure.

“Anyway, keep it going. Those people,” Hux lowered his voice, “have connections to the board and they actually liked you. Rumours travel fast,” he explained when Rey made a confused face.

“Everyone here wants to meet you already,” Bazine grinned, making her nervously gulp.

“Oh God.”

“I know, right?” the other woman said excitedly, no doubts considering her PR success. “Very efficient.”

“You made _Kylo_ look approachable. Kylo!” Hux shook his head incredulously and Rey barely resisted snorting.

“Yes, very approachable.” Especially five minutes ago in his office.

“Anyway, well done,” the ginger patted her shoulder in an awkward gesture as if he were unsure how to show affection. “We’re quite proud of you.”

Rey could only stare and stare.

Shame burned his face. This was inconceivable, horrible, debasing, damn it! Not only was he was attracted to this hellcat of a woman, he had embarrassed himself in the worst way possible. Kylo was lucky Rey didn’t notice his _problem_. The problem in question twitched at the thought of her gloriously angry face. Fuck, he was crazy.

That woman attacked him, yelled at him, almost slapped him, and he responded with a raging hard-on?! Was _that_ why his father constantly picked fights with his mother? The mere thought made him sick to the stomach, but at least it helped with his little (or rather not-so-little) problem.

Kylo felt sick. Not only he was just like his dear old dad, he also was somehow attracted to his fake girlfriend despite not even liking her one bit. No, that was a lie, he did feel admiration for her stubbornness and tenacity, for the sheer force of her will, whether he liked it or not. Shit, Kylo was in bigger trouble than he thought.

It wouldn't do to dwell on it any more than he had already. Rey was his fake girlfriend, emphasis on fake, no need to add sexual attraction to the mix. He needed to keep things professional. Too bad it meant he shouldn't piss her off again to avoid any further _situations_. Why hadn't he gotten laid recently? Right, because those women were boring. Life had a strange sense of humor.

Kylo sighed. He had gotten himself into this mess, he would get himself out of it. Starting with removing the little hellcat from his office. 

As soon as Mitaka informed him that the sexy little bane of his existence was back, Kylo ushered her inside.

“Rey.”

“What?” she asked defiantly, her hackles raised high.

He internally groaned. Why was every conversation with her a battlefield?

“I want to apologize.”

Rey eyed him suspiciously. “Wow, and it didn’t kill you?” At his annoyed expression she lifted her hands placatingly. “Sorry, sorry, go on, I quite enjoyed it.”

Goodness, he didn't have  _this much_ patience.

“We started off on the wrong foot,” Kylo tentatively attempted.

Rey snorted, her nose scrunching adorably.

“You don’t say.”

“Hey, I’m trying here,” he snapped. He was grovelling for the first time in years and she _mocked_ him?

“I’m waiting,” the little menace supplied impatiently.

“Goodness, woman, are you going to challenge me at every turn?”

She pretended to think. 

“I might. It depends, really.”

Kylo mentally cursed. Damn, why was she so irritating and appealing at the same time?

“Geez, fine. Truce,” he offered as she blinked at him, stunned.

“What?”

“Truce. I don’t complicate your life, you don’t complicate mine.” Easy, right?

Rey looked at him dubiously.

“OK,” she drawled slowly. “Where’s the catch?”

He groaned. “Why does everyone look for a catch?”

“You seriously want me to answer that?”

The irony was palpable. Kylo's patience snapped.

“Truce or no?”

“Truce,” the girl unexpectedly agreed. “On two conditions: you treat me with respect and you give me lab access.”

Even though those conditions were along his own line of thinking, he pretended to consider them just to make her squirm.

“Fine. And you don’t try to maim me and stop being so…” _Sexy, beautiful, distracting, infuriating._

“So..?” Rey lifted her eyebrows expectantly.

Kylo winced. “Saccharine.”

“Will do,” she agreed with a smirk, offering him her hand to shake.

When his huge hand enveloped her tiny one, he had a flash-like realization, solid and clear, that this wouldn't go the way he thought.

The next day Rey showed up to work in a comfortable jeans and t-shirt combo, fully cleared to begin her coveted internship. It was finally happening. Kylo had kept his word.

She trailed after Miss Phasma, all sharp suit and stiletto heels, looking somewhat out of place around the lab coats and casual attire of lab employees.

“Dr. Pryde is a bit of an acquired taste,” she delivered, pinching her lips, “but he does a good job in heading R&D.”

That was probably code for "raging asshole, but too smart or well connected to get fired." So what, Rey had handled worse.

Apparently, she wasn't wrong; one look at her new boss's haughty, unpleasant expression told her everything she needed to know. Looked like Kylo wasn’t the worst of the worst. 

“Sir, allow me to introduce to you our new intern Rey Niima. Miss Niima, Dr. Enric Pryde.”

Dr. Pryde, sharp-eyed and tight-lipped, scrutinized her with the precision of an x-ray.

“The notorious Miss Niima,” he drawled. “Well met. Why is she here?” The annoyed query was addressed to Phasma. She narrowed her eyes.

“For her internship. I emailed you the details,” the woman reminded him flatly.

“Gwendolyn, darling,” Pryde's tone was full of condescension, “you know I have more important things to do than babysit Ren’s paramours.”

Both women glared at him.

“Excuse me?” Rey demanded.

Phasma's hand on her arm stopped her from anything else.

“That’s why she will shadow Miss Tico,” the blonde informed him coldly.

“Wonderful,” Pryde rolled his eyes in displeasure. “Now we are going to multiply chaos. Might as well put them together. You know my opinion on females in labs.”

“I do.” Phasma's frosty tone suggested she had a lot of thoughts on that matter.

Pryde muttered something dangerously close to _whatever_ and left them to their own devices.

Rey wasn't surprised one bit, she had been dealing with such attitudes for years, but hell, was she disappointed. The First Order was supposed to be progressive, not Coruscant all over again.

Phasma knocked at one of the doors, revealing a short adorable dark-haired woman pouring over some schematics.

“Rose?”

The girl jerked up.

“Hiya. I mean, hello, Miss Phasma. Sorry, I was a bit distracted.”

“I could tell,” the blonde smiled. “This is Rey, your new intern.”

Rose beamed, almost jumping out of her lab coat. “I know, I’m so excited! My first intern and _a girl_. We need something to dilute all this toxic masculinity. I mean, you didn’t hear me say that,” she whispered, flushing.

“You said something?” Phasma asked innocently. “I’ll leave you to it.”

“I’m Rose. Sorry, you know that already, I’m babbling,” the girl smiled self-consciously, immediately endearing herself to Rey.

“That’s ok, I don’t mind.”

“You’re sweet, Rose decided. You go to Coruscant, right?”

“Yes, you?”

“Hays. I wanted to apply, but…” she trailed off, her lips twisting into a sad smile.

Rey nodded. “I know.”

Coruscant was a place for rich white boys. Whereas Rey only failed to fulfill two of those prerequisites, Rose lacked all three. The world wasn't a fair place, no matter how smart or talented you were.

“At least this way I got to stay close to Paige, my big sis,” the girl shared, bouncing back to her positive attitude. “She’s a photographer and a part-time model, too. I can show you her photos later. So cool,” Rose sighed dreamily.

“Being an engineer for FO is cool, too,” Rey quipped, knowing full well how much ass-busting it involved.

Rose winced. “Yeah, doesn’t always feel like that. Sorry, Pryde was being an ass again. But you know what, we’ll show him!” she finished enthusiastically.

Rey eagerly nodded, deciding then and there that the girl was her new best friend. Kicking some stuck-up asses? Hell yes.

“We will. We totally will.”

She was sitting in the cafeteria, waiting for Rose to return with what she promised to be the best Wednesday lunch known to humanity, when Bazine elegantly slid into the seat beside her. Rey immediately tensed; after the events of the previous day she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. The truce with Kylo was just too good to be true.

“Rey, good, I’ve caught you,” the brunette smiled calculatingly, provoking a chill down her spine. “We decided that Saturday night works best.”

“For what?” she asked suspiciously as her stomach dropped.

Bazine blinked. “For your date of course. Sorry, I’m a bit in my head. Let me talk you through-”

“A date?” They both lifted their heads to see Rose staring at them with wide excited eyes. “You two are an item? So cute.”

Rey’s eyes filled with horror.

“Oh no, no, we aren't.”

“Of course not”, Bazine responded smoothly. “Rey is dating Kylo.

It was a good thing that Rose had put the tray down on the table or she would have dropped it.

“As in..?”

“Yes.”

Rose's eyes bulged.

“Oh. My. God.” 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose reacts to the news of Rey and Kylo dating and our silly space kids go for a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those who read Go And Catch A Falling Star know that I asked about whether or not to start a new WIP. The votes are in favor of Set in Motion, so that's what I'm focusing on. Oh, and the epilogue for I Take Thee is coming soon.
> 
> Many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley.

Rose’s eyes rounded in slow motion. Rey watched in horror as her first real female friendship was falling apart, all because of that idiotic agreement. Why, oh, _why_ couldn't Bazine be quiet?

“No. _Way_!”

“Rose, please, I can explain.” Or at least she could try and scavenge whatever relationship they had developed. Rey wasn’t going to cry. She wasn’t.

“You and Tall, Dark, and Pouty,” Rose murmured incredulously. “You and Mr. Grumpy Cat. Rey of Sunshine with Signor Sourpuss! How did it happen? When? Where?” The girl gasped in panic. “Oh shit, don’t tell him I called him that, I love this job!”

“I personally think Signor Sourpuss was a nice touch,” Bazine commented nonchalantly, watching the two of them with interest.

Rey wanted to howl. Why was this her life?

“Please, I beg you, stop.”

“What? A girl can have an opinion. Not every day your big bad boss falls for a sweet ingénue that kicks ass,” Bazine said conspiratorially in an absolutely one hundred percent calculated move.

Rose nodded with the enthusiasm of a golden retriever wagging his tail. “ _Yes!_ I mean, it’s every girl’s fantasy.”

“Every girl’s what now?” Rey gasped in horror as the two girls happily bonded over her and Kylo.

“Aren’t they quite the power couple?” Bazine even had the audacity to wink.

“Totally! Rey, you _must_ tell me everything! Spill!” Rose demanded.

The day couldn’t get any worse.

Rey was pacing Finn’s living room like an angry caged lion. The boys cautiously eyed her from the couch.

“This is a disaster! I can’t do this!”

“Do what, Peanut?” her friend tentatively prodded her.

“ _The_ _date_ ,” she grumbled in annoyance. Surely she had mentioned that already.

Her friends exchanged looks.

“Rey, you _did_ agree to fake-date Benny Boy,” Poe carefully and unhelpfully pointed out.

She groaned. “What do I do?”

Finn shrugged.

“The same thing you do on normal dates?”

“Such a _great_ idea.”

“Come on, Rey, it’s not that difficult,” Poe attempted to encourage her. “What do you usually do?”

“I _don’t._ ”

He blinked.

“Er? I don't follow.”

“Poe,” Finn put a warning hand on his knee.

“I don’t do dating,” Rey answered with irritation.

The man blinked, his brows drawn together in confusion. “What? How? How is that possible?”

“Poe,” his boyfriend warned him.

“I mean, you’re hot,” he insisted. “Finn, she’s hot!”

“I’m aware,” he deadpanned.

“You _must_ have dated at some point.”

“ _When_ I was supposed to do that?” Rey snapped. “I’ve always had three jobs on average, not to mention school. Have you _ever_ seen me dating?”

He gaped at her, stunned. “But… but when do you get laid?”

Finn groaned at the disaster. “Poe, shut up.”

“I mean, you don’t seem like the one night stand type. So how do you..?”

“Poe!”

“I. _Don’t_.” Rey angrily enunciated. Hadn't she been embarrassed enough for one day?

“You… don’t? As in never? Not even once?”

She sent a withering glare his way.

“Poe Dameron,” Finn gritted through clenched teeth, “shut the fuck up or else _you_ won’t be getting laid.”

His boyfriend turned to him with wide, terrified eyes. “You wound me.”

“Right where it hurts,” was Finn’s compassionless response.

Poe groaned. “Ok, fine, I’m quiet. Just… are you a virgin?” he asked Rey sheepishly.

She threw a pillow at him with a frustrated yell.

“Enough.” Finn got up and opened the door wide. “Poe, get out!”

Making sure the door was locked, Finn turned to back Rey. “Now, listen to me. You’ve got this. Just be yourself.”

She rolled her eyes exasperatedly. “Yeah, that’s worked _so well_ before.”

“Don’t worry, it will be fine,” her friend tried to cheer her up. “Dating isn’t advanced physics, you’re just trying to get to know each other while making sure the other one is not a creep.”

She snorted. “Right.” Kylo was _so not a creep_....

“That being said, safety comes first.”

Rey had to bite her tongue. If _Finn_ of all people tried to give her sex ed.…

“Let’s start with the pepper spray,” he continued obliviously.

Come to think of it, Rey was lucky she hadn’t just been thrown to the wolves. Bazine hand-picked her a cute but classy outfit and Kaydel dragged her to a beauty salon where a sweet girl spent several hours giving her hair effortless-looking waves and used a dozen mysterious products to produce a natural skin tone. The end result, she had to admit, was _nice_. Her beautician was ecstatic.

When Kylo arrived to pick her up, Rey couldn’t help but sigh wistfully at the sight of his car. What wouldn’t she give just to get under its bonnet. One day, she promised herself, she’d make her ‘boyfriend’ let her. That’s the least he could do.

“Hello,” she smiled brightly, full Wholesome Girlfriend mode on.

Kylo gave her a once-over, freezing on the length of her legs that her dress prettily showed off. His eye twitched. _What an ass._

“You clean up nicely.”

“And you’re as pleasant as ever,” Rey answered with a massive eyeroll, trying not to feel self-conscious. What was wrong with this man? Couldn’t he admit she looked pretty for once? “Shall we?”

Kylo silently opened her the door, pretending to be a gentleman. She rolled her eyes again.

“Where’re we going?” Rey attempted small talk.

“Starkiller. It’s a restaurant, quite popular,” he explained when she stared at him blankly.

“Never heard of it.”

“Of course you haven’t,” Kylo muttered under his breath.

Rey huffed irritably. This wasn’t going to work.

“Look, you can make as many snappy comments as you want, but at least there pretend you’re happy to be in my company.” She narrowed her eyes to drive the point home. He stiffened in his seat, squirming uncomfortably. What was his problem?

“You have _no idea_ how happy I am,” he deadpanned.

Rey sighed. It wasn’t her fault that the stick up his ass was way too big for her to remove. They were quiet all the way to the restaurant.

As if her brain wasn’t hurting enough, Kylo decided to go all in by grabbing her hand as soon as they arrived, hovering over her protectively, and glaring at every single man in the vicinity. Damn, was he a good actor. Some weird part of her brain even liked it.

“Why don’t I see any paparazzi?” Rey whispered to him.

“Just so you know,” he snorted. “We are trying to be subtle.”

She quirked her eyebrow. It made absolutely no sense to go through this whole set up only to be _subtle_. “I don’t see the point.”

“What’s more plausible – that we would go overboard or be sneaky about it?” Kylo asked quietly as they were escorted to their table, his large hand resting at the small of her back. To a passing observer he seemed to be whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

“Yeah, but if we are sneaky, how will anyone know that we’re a couple?” Rey pointed out, quite reasonably in her opinion.

Her ‘boyfriend’ just smirked and covered her hand with his. They received their menus, all in French and without prices, to which she naturally responded by pointing at the names that seemed the fanciest with the straightest face possible. It seemed to work just fine. Kylo, of course was fluent in French, not that she was surprised.

“Look,” he nodded toward the other patrons when the waiter left. “As much as it pains me to say, half of the restaurant will take selfies. Someone will spot us in the background. Someone will snap us on purpose just to start gossip.”

She had to admit he was right which made her instantly anxious. They would have to keep their performance perfect _all the time_.

“You might wake up famous yet,” Kylo smirked, making her shudder in horror.

“Geez. How do you live like that?”

He shrugged. “Good question. Habit?”

“Habit?” Rey frowned. How could anyone get used to that?

“You know who my parents are. When I was young they always tried to put me in the spotlight, cute kid and all. Not so much when I was a teen,” he rolled his eyes exasperatedly.

Rey cocked her head, processing his words. She had to admit, she could see Leia doing that.

“Is that why you hate your parents?”

His face was impassive when he responded, “I don’t hate them.”

Rey huffed. “Fine, resent.”

Kylo was quiet for so long she didn’t think he would answer. He surprised her nevertheless. “Partly. Happens when you know that their job is more important than you.” There was an unmistakable twinge of bitterness in his words.

“That’s not true,” Rey protested automatically. She saw it for herself, Leia cared deeply. Although, her ways of showing it were… unconventional.

“Maybe,” he responded with detachment. “Felt that way.”

How someone so privileged could have such a sad outlook on life Rey had no idea.

“That’s such a bleak attitude.”

Kylo shrugged. “Whatever.”

“Are you even capable of forming full sentences?” she wondered without real bite, still musing over his words. “You said partly.”

He eyed her suspiciously. “What is this, an interrogation?”

“That’s what dating is, right?” she joked. “Getting to know each other?”

“ _Fake_ dating,” Kylo reminded her with amusement.

Rey smiled gamely.

“You can’t _fake_ -know each other. Or are you suggesting playing two truths and a lie?” Her eyes lit up. A rare chance to dissect Kylo Ren and it was all hers. “We should!”

“Seriously? A children’s game?” he snorted.

“If it can help us to amicably get through this evening. I can start; you look like I’m pulling your teeth out,” Rey laughed at his expression. “My eyes change colors, my accent isn’t natural, and this is my best date so far.”

He peered intently at her, prompting a shiver to creep down her spine. Odd, she wasn’t cold; quite the opposite.

“The date thing,” Kylo decided finally.

Rey grinned.

“Nope, the accent. I almost lost it completely and had to listen a lot of BBC to get it back,” she explained, carefully avoiding that it was all in hopes of her family recognizing her.

“Huh. I wouldn’t have guessed. Shit luck with dates?” he suggested.

Rey’s smile stiffened.

“Something like that. Your turn.” To her surprise he complied.

“OK, let me think. This is my best date in five years, I have a sweet tooth, and my father wasn’t the one to teach me drive.”

She perched her chin on her clasped hands. “Hm, let’s see. Knowing you, I’d suspect some of your other dates were not as nice and polite as me.”

“Really now?” Kylo asked amusedly.

“Yes, I’m a perfect example of a perfectly wholesome date,” she confidently proclaimed. “Ask Bazine. Sweet tooth? Nooope. You look like you need some sugar in your life, so…” she mused. “Now, the driving. How Han Solo, the F1 star, could miss the opportunity to teach his son is beyond me, but given what you said I assume it’s true. Which leaves sweet tooth.”

“Correct,” he confirmed. “Surprisingly.”

“So what happened?” Rey asked him.

Kylo sighed. “To his credit, Han _tried_ to teach me, but I wasn’t fast enough or a ‘natural’, according to him.”

She gaped. “You?”

“Imagine that. My godfather Lando taught me after Han called me hopeless. Joke’s on him,” he smirked, though it was obvious it still pained him.

“I see.” She didn’t understand how a loving parent could call his son hopeless, especially someone as talented as Kylo, but what did she knew about families? “Well, we must remedy that.”

He blinked, confused. “My driving lessons?”

“Your lack of a sweet tooth,” Rey answered enthusiastically. “We are ordering the biggest, richest chocolate cake on the menu and eating it. Right here, right now.”

Kylo looked at her with a start. “No.”

“Yes.”

“I won’t even finish the slice,” he protested weakly.

Rey’s grin was positively feral.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

Kylo tried his best not to think about Rey, or how long her legs seemed in that dress, or how cute she looked when she scrunched her nose, or how adorable she was while finishing his slice of cake. Well, he tried not to think about her _too much_. The woman had effectively wormed her way inside his head, something that hadn’t happened in… a while. He wished he’d let his mother pick a girl of her own. How to handle _those women_ Kylo knew damn well, but when it came to Rey he was lost.

There was nothing fake about her. If her fury was awe-inspiring, her laughter was the purest thing he’d ever heard. Her smile was adorable. Her innocence appealed to his long-buried protective side. And her soft curves wrapped in that silky material appealed to his very _different_ body parts that perked with interest every time the girl was around. He was slipping and it terrified him.

Kylo could handle sexual attraction, but _this_ …. He hadn’t thought about anything _more_ for five years, ever since.… No, it didn’t matter. His emotions were the result of Rey’s pretty face and his own boredom, nothing else. That’s why he played her silly games, opened up to her, indulged her with the cake, and ordered an extra slice for her to take home. Boredom, right. And her pretty sparkly eyes, damn them. He was in deep, deep shit.

Unlike him, Hux was in a particularly perky mood the day after the notorious date, probably already projecting the growth of their shares along with the company’s media presence. Kylo’s mood automatically darkened at the sight of the insufferable irritant. Never in his life would he have thought that his personal life would be the source of Hux’s reports.

“Don’t grin like that, it’s disturbing.”

“My apologies. It seems the media picked up on your change of character,” the ginger responded with barely detectable yet quite present smugness, a folder of evidence in his hands.

“Don’t you dare say ‘I told you so’,” Kylo grumbled darkly as Hux adopted an innocent look.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Are you going to just stand here?”

“I wasn’t sure you‘d want to see the news,” the ginger shrugged, passing him the folder.

“Hasn’t stopped you before,” he grumbled, reluctantly accepting the papers. Wasn’t it disturbing that his very own COO and PR director spent their morning stalking him on the internet? Yes, yes, it was.

Kylo lazily flicked through print-outs from social media and gossipy websites, noting how good and natural he and Rey looked in those sneaky photos. Like they were enjoying themselves and each other. Which they… were? They definitely were. The media seemed to agree.

“Wait, what?” he frowned at a snippet that shamelessly implied wedding bells were in the air. They were literally just seen together for the first time! “Why would anyone think that Rey and I are _that_ serious?”

The ginger fidgeted. “Well.…”

Impatient, Kylo got back to the article.

“Because I haven’t grabbed her ass?” he was completely thrown. “What’s wrong with them?”

“More like, you treated her with respect,” Hux carefully pointed out.

“Respect? You saying I don’t respect women?”

“Oh, you do, but you _treat_ with respect only those you actually care about.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” That was a dangerous thought to entertain.

The ginger coked his eyebrow. “Name one of your _ladies_ you wined and dined without having your hands all over her in public?”

Kylo wanted to retort but his mind came back blank. Damn, he wasn’t a saint, nor had he looked for commitment, but he couldn’t be that bad, right?

“Er…”

“There’s your answer.”

The damn ginger was right. Again.

“I still don’t see how this gossip can be useful to the First Order,” Kylo scowled out of sheer principle.

“Have you heard any complaints from the Hutts lately?” Hux retorted. “Not since you hired Rey. Rumours travel fast.”

“Not _this_ fast.”

“So you say. You know, it wouldn’t hurt if you went and checked on the labs, too,” the ginger suggested nonchalantly.

“Where Rey oh-so-conveniently works,” Kylo rolled his eyes. “I just had a meeting with Pride last Thursday, you know that.”

“You’re willingly missing a chance of yet again checking on your beloved Tie Silencer?” Hux asked incredulously.

“When you put it like that.…”

The Tie Silencer was his pride and joy, a new luxury vehicle model he personally helped to develop from the earliest stages. All the late nights in the labs and the brainstorming with the design team were going to result in a spring release, an event many anxiously waited for. Kylo prided himself on being so involved in the production, but lately he had to focus on administrative work, taking a break from the labs. Perhaps it was time to pay his science team a surprise visit.

Minutes later, he and Hux were following Dr. Pryde who was providing them with updates on the labs’ day-to-day life.

“… therefore the prototype will ready to be sent into production in October, as expected.”

“The team did a great job,” Kylo offered his approval. He tried to make a point of giving praise for the hard work his employees did, unlike the previous CEO.

Dr. Pride received it gracefully. “You know our motto, the best or nothing.”

“What about that X-wing modification you mentioned in your last report?” Hux piped in. He wasn’t as well-versed in the technical side as Kylo, but his ability to transform it into revenue was impressive.

“As you know, we are currently working on updating our standard model line. Actually, the “freighter” team is having a meeting right now,” Dr. Pride suggested, taking a turn to the commercial vehicles department. “They recently had a breakthrough.”

The commercial vehicles team, affectionately called the “freighters” was in the middle of discussing updates for the _Corellia_ , or C-class van, one of their long-time favourites. Noticing their CEO, COO, and the Head of the labs, the team instantly perked up, aside from Rey who looked like she swallowed the canary.

“Mr. Ren,” the team lead greeted him nervously.

“Go on, please, Dr. Opan.”

“I was just saying that with the compressor issue eliminated the overall system efficiency went up by eight percent,” the man hurried to continue.

Hux diligently took note of that.

“I see,” Kylo nodded approvingly.

Dr. Opan beamed with pride. “My boys did a good job.”

“Boys, my ass.”

While it was said quietly, it was loud enough for everyone, including Kylo, to turn to Rey with surprise.

“Miss Niima?” he asked sternly.

The dark-haired girl beside her paled. But his little ‘girlfriend’ never cowered.

“Oh, nothing. It’s just that the _boys_ in question are _Miss Tico_ ,” Rey said pointedly, glaring daggers at a red-faced Dr. Opan.

Kylo looked between the team lead and his quite pissed off ‘girlfriend’ until he finally settled his eyes on the nervous Miss Tico. “Is that so?”

The girl squirmed. “Um, yes, you see, I was the one working on the compressor, but it was actually Rey’s idea to…” She glanced at the faces Dr. Opan and Dr. Pride were making and promptly closed her mouth.

Hux cleared his throat, prompting the scientists to refocus their attention.

Kylo narrowed his eyes. “Hm, interesting. May I suggest that next time you properly credit the input from your team?” he addressed Dr. Opan who swallowed nervously.

“Of course.”

“Actually,” Kylo took in Dr. Pride’s livid expression and quickly made a decision, “Miss Niima, Miss Tico, follow me.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey learn something new about Kylo's past and gets to wear a pretty dress. Her 'boyfriend' is stunned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm updating this story! I'm determined to try and finish it by December. We'll see how it goes.
> 
> As always, many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley!

Trailing after her ‘boyfriend,’ Rey quietly seethed, unsure what to expect next. On the one hand, she was grateful that Kylo had intervened with Dr. Opan, on the other hand, singling out her and Rose meant that he wasn’t quite OK with their behaviour. And damn, that wasn’t fair.

Sure, Rey was not as professional as she should have been, she had trouble thinking clearly when she was pissed off, but _Rose_ hadn’t done anything wrong. Seeing her friend’s pale face and Hux’s sympathetic expression made her want to kick her own ass all over again. Or Kylo’s. Rey was always up for that.

The doors of Kylo’s office closed behind them, leaving the girls to squirm in front of the calm execs.

“Sir, if I may,” Rose tried tentatively before Rey could say anything. “We didn’t mean to show any insubordination.”

“ _Rose_ didn’t,” she immediately amended, assuming that after the ‘date’ success she was pretty much invincible, at least with Hux present, while her friend could use any help she could get. 

“Rey, I don’t want your boyfriend to fire me,” Rose hissed quietly.

Kylo shared an amused look with Hux.

“No one is going to be fired, Miss Tico.”

The relief that followed was instant.

“You’d better not,” Rey grumbled, assuming that no ass-kicking would be required. Kylo, she realized, relaxed, too. At this point he was probably defensive in her presence all the time. Or he just knew her too well. It was kind of sweet.

Her ‘boyfriend’ got comfortable in his big boss chair, gesturing for them to sit as well.

“Let’s have a chat,” Kylo began. “Do you like your job?”

Rose gulped. “Very much. And I’d really hate to lose it.”

He rubbed his chin pensively. “I see. Do you feel like you’re going to lose it every time you offer your opinion? In your team, I mean.”

The girl’s eyes widened in shock; she opened her mouth, then closed it, unsure how honest to be. Rey immediately jumped to the occasion.

“I can answer that.”

“I’m not asking _you_.” Kylo’s tone was kind, but firm, like he was talking to a spoiled child.

She bristled, but decided to let it slide since his complete attention was on Rose.

“Er… Um…” The girl looked uncertainly between the other three occupants of the room, then seemingly came to a decision. “You know what? _Yes_. Because my team does not like the fact that women have brains. Do you want to fire me yet?” There was an edge of challenge in her voice and Rey realized her respect for her friend had doubled. 

“For having an opinion?” Kylo asked confusedly.

“For telling you that your labs are full of sexist pigs.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she slapped her hand over it with horror. 

“That’s fine,” Rey said gently, side-eyeing Kylo in warning.

He just smirked.

“She’s a firecracker,” the man said approvingly, allowing Rose to marginally relax. “You see, a few days ago I had an interesting conversation with the HR department. Apparently we have a very high turnover of women in R&D, which made no sense since the benefits are great.” 

“They are.” _Mind-blowing_ , Rey’s inner voice finished for her.

“Sometimes benefits are not everything,” Hux commented in a clipped tone.

Kylo nodded.

“I’m starting to see that. So tell me, Miss Tico, what makes brilliant ladies like you quit? Don’t hold back on my account.”

Rose’s eyes flashed eagerly.

“You asked for it.”

As she talked, both men’s eyes got rounder and rounder. They hadn’t considered how much additional pressure their female scientists had to deal with, especially with HR influence limited. The labs, the pride and joy of the FO, were basically autonomous and apparently they weren’t run the same way the other divisions were. Rey couldn’t be more proud – her friend honestly talked about the issues and she made herself _heard_. Kylo got a lot of food for thought that day.

After Rose’s passionate speech Rey lingered behind, just to make sure her friend’s employment was safe. To her surprise, _Hux_ followed after Rose, awkwardly clearing his throat.

“Miss Tico.” 

She smiled brightly at the distinctly uncomfortable man.

“Rose is fine.”

If Rey was surprised before, she was completely baffled when Hux _blushed_.

“What you did was incredibly b-brave,” he stumbled, making Rey gape.

Hux never, _ever_ stammered.

“I deeply admire your st-strength of character.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hux.”

“P-please, call me Armitage,” he asked shyly, as the two of them disappeared from view.

“Did you see that?” Rey asked Kylo incredulously.

He was just as stunned. “Hux? Stutter?”

“And blush! He likes her!”

Something in her face must have given her away because he shook his head.

“Rey, _no._ ”

“But they would be so cute together,” she protested, already envisioning the future couple.

“My mom has rubbed off on you,” Kylo grumbled in exasperation.

“You're no fun,” Rey scoffed. “Just think how you could get back at him by setting them up.”

He looked at her with newfound appreciation.

“You’re a wicked little thing, scavenger.”

“You doubted me, Mr. Dark Lord?” she teased.

Kylo smiled back fondly.

“Never.”

If anyone had asked Rey before, she would have said this whole fake-dating thing was doomed to backfire spectacularly. Somehow it didn’t. On the contrary, it worked scarily well. She and Kylo developed a rapport. Their outings somehow ended up being enjoyable, even _fun_ , not the terrible chore she had imagined before. The media picked up on their relationship just like Bazine planned and Rey even got her own, albeit tiny, fan-club online. It went so well she was low-key waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The weirdest thing was Kylo himself. Sure, he remained his cocky asshole self half the time, but the other half he was actually nice. Even more so, Rey was startled to discover that the man was secretly a _cuddler_. When in public, he always held her hand or hugged her or initiated any other physical contact that she’d allow. He seemed to _like_ it. And wasn’t that strange?

Rose didn’t think so. Oh, how much Rey wished to be able to tell her everything. Finn’s advice could only be stretched so far and a female perspective would be quite welcome. Too bad Bazine wouldn’t allow it. The fact that she and Kylo weren’t together for real was supposed to be a tightly-guarded secret. Deep down Rey suspected it wasn’t working.

The pretty picture they presented was fine for the media or the lower-level employees, but for people who worked closely with Kylo? Debatable.

Phasma was one of those. While she was fair and firm, she was also smart and observant, and she did raise her eyebrow multiple times over the oddities of Rey’s relationship with her ‘boyfriend.’ Why Hux and Bazine had decided to keep her out of the loop she didn’t know. One or two of the right questions and all their scheming would be revealed. Especially now that the Amazonian blonde had received permission to meddle inside Dr. Pryde’s division.

“So, Rey,” Phasma eyed her curiously from her seat, “how is your internship going?”

She squirmed under the piercing gaze of the blue eyes. “Well...”

Luckily for Rey, she was saved by the door of Phasma’s office opening abruptly and Hux peering in.

“Gwen, have you seen...?” His eyes set upon Rey and he smiled with satisfaction. “Oh, there you are.”

He unceremoniously let himself in, Bazine hot on his heels.

“Why didn’t you pick up your phone? We were looking for you everywhere.” she chastised Rey.

The girl frowned. “Has something happened?”

The two shared a look.

“No, nothing. We just wanted to make sure you knew that next week Mon Mothma has her charity gala,” Bazine smiled nonchalantly as if a gala was a routine for her. Which, possibly, it was.

“And you are attending, of course,” Hux delivered before Rey could protest.

Phasma looked between the two of them with a puzzled expression. “Kylo couldn’t do it himself?”

“I mean, he’s such a scatterbrain,” Bazine responded sweetly, provoking the blonde to glance between them sharply.

“What’s going on? Why would he need to send both of you?”

Hux rolled his eyes.

“He didn’t _send_ us.”

Phasma’s brows shot up suddenly.

Rey gulped.

“Is this? Oh my God, is this about _Carise_?”

“Who?”

“You don’t know who she is?” the HR rep asked incredulously. “Why the fuck she doesn’t know who Carise is?” she demanded of her colleagues.

Hux and Bazine looked like deer in the headlights, not expecting to be questioned like that.

“You’re not scaring me, not at all,” Rey muttered under her breath.

“Is Kylo out of his mind?” Phasma went on indignantly.

“You know him,” the ginger smiled thinly, motioning for Bazine to get up.

“I do. Sit down, both of you,” Phasma commanded. “I’m not letting this girl get hurt because _someone_ is an idiot.”

Rey, who had absolutely no clue what was going on, finally snapped.

“OK, out with it. Who’s Carise?”

Hux winced a little.

“Carise Sindian used to be the head of PR.”

Before Rey could ask him to clarify, Bazine added, “ _And_ Kylo’s girlfriend.”

Ah, so that’s what this was all about. 

“Phew, I was worried there for a second,” Rey smiled with relief. “I mean, she’s not the crazy ex-girlfriend type, right? Or is she?” Rey asked suspiciously as everyone tried not to look her in the eye. Oh god, what had Kylo gotten himself into?

“I don’t know quite how to put this…” Hux started carefully.

“Yes. She is,” Phasma supplied.

Rey sighed. Just her luck. “OK, good to know.”

Bazine looked at her sympathetically. “It’s Kylo’s job to tell you, so don’t let him know that you know, but…”

“I’ve got it. So what happened?”

The three of them shared a look.

“They met when Carise interned for Leia,” Hux started. “She’s a couple of years older.”

“School sweethearts?” Rey tried to guess. Somehow she struggled to imagine Kylo as an awkward teen.

“Not quite,” Phasma corrected. “They only became a thing when Kylo started with FO. She joined the PR department about the same time.”

“Talk about a coincidence,” the ginger muttered under his breath.

“Carise knew damn well what she was doing. Smart girl.” Somehow it didn’t sound like a compliment.

“They clicked,” Bazine added unnecessarily.

“Of course they did,” Hux snorted. “She was beautiful, bold…”

“Bitch,” Phasma enunciated.

“Precisely. Beautiful, bold bitch. Working with her was a nightmare.”

“She had her claws deep into Kylo,” Bazine said disapprovingly.

Rey blinked. That didn’t seem in character for the aloof man she knew. “Hard to imagine.”

Hux lowered his voice. “Believe it or not, he was strictly monogamous back then.”

“They were engaged,” Phasma added quietly.

“Oh.” The idea of Kylo being in love, _wanting_ to get married was so at odds with him now. What could have possibly happened?

“Don’t get me wrong, _he_ loved her, _she_ loved his money and connections.” The disdain in Phasma’s voice was palpable.

Hux cleared his throat. “At first Snoke even encouraged it. A distracted Kylo was convenient to order around. Carise got promoted fast, things worked so well.”

“But she wanted more. And more meant Kylo being CEO,” Phasma pointed out.

“Snoke didn’t like that,” Rey guessed correctly.

“You have no idea. They clashed constantly, drove everyone crazy.” 

Rey had a bad feeling about that. “What’s happened?”

“Kylo had a massive fight with Carise right before he left for a business trip. So he switched flights to come back early to apologize and…” Hux winced.

“He found her with another man,” Rey figured it out.

Bazine leaned in conspiratorially. “Rumours say there were _men_ , plural.”

“Bazine!”

“What?” She pouted. “That’s what everyone says.”

“So,” Hux continued, pointedly ignoring the previous comment, “they broke up, Snoke kicked her out, and Baz was hired instead.”

“Unfortunately for him, this all caused Kylo to do a lot of self-reflection and he realized that the old man had been manipulating him all along and the rest is history,” Phasma finished.

“But not Carise,” Bazine scowled. “She waited for Kylo to crawl back on his hands and knees and when he didn’t she didn’t take it well.”

Rey could almost imagine how badly it went.

“She still has the habit of occasionally harassing him or his dates since she apparently ‘ _knows they are not over yet’_.” 

“I see,” the girl muttered under her breath unsurely. Her experience with toxic exes was non-existent; how was she supposed to know what to do? It’s not like her ‘boyfriend’ would jump to her defence.

Phasma turned her computer screen, showing a picture of a beautiful dark-haired, golden-skinned, elegant woman. No wonder Kylo had been so head over heels. Even with her new make-up and clothes Rey could hardly compare to _her_.

“If you see this person, don’t believe a single word from her mouth,” the blonde instructed her seriously.

“Will do,” Rey nodded seriously. “Thank you for telling me.”

Phasma smiled. “Any time, doll.”

  
If he was being honest with himself, Kylo had never given Mon Mothma’s annual gala more than a passing thought ever before. It was yet another boring event at which he was supposed to drop a bunch of money, be polite, and not drink or pick himself up a companion for the night (not that it had stopped him before). His mother adored these things. Him, they made yawn. He hadn’t thought anything of it before he realized that this year he’d be attending with _Rey_. And then he couldn’t think about anything else.

First of all, it would be their first real public outing. Not a restaurant or a coffee shop, but somewhere he would have to introduce her as his girlfriend to a number of people, where they were supposed to _act_. Secondly, there was the matter of Rey’s outfit. Of course he knew his and his mother’s staff would do their work just fine. _That_ wasn’t the problem. The problem was that Rey would be walking around _in a dress_ , and with his luck it would show off her cleavage or legs and damn, walking around a charity event with an awkward boner was, yeah, awkward. Obviously, Kylo knew he was in for a treat. Thirdly, he had no idea how she would handle such exposure. As far as he could tell, Rey was pretty introverted and shy, her ass-kicking tendencies notwithstanding. How and why she received media attention so calmly before, he had no idea. Would she be this graceful when paparazzi would shove their cameras into her face or would she run screaming for the hills? Kylo didn’t know.

He was already in his suit and waiting and Bazine, Kaydel, and all sorts of beauticians were still keeping Rey hostage in his spare bedroom. Curiosity got the better of him, forcing him to casually lean on the wall across from the bedroom door.  
“Isn’t it too much?” he heard Rey asking dubiously.

“No, it’s perfect,” Bazine fervently reassured her.

“Our baby is all grown up,” Kaydel pretended to sniff.

The door opened and Kylo had the wind knocked out of him. For a second he thought Rey was naked, with flowers growing straight from her skin. Then he realized [it](https://glamadelaide.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/PSAW1811-1.jpg) was some sort of pale transparent tulle that clung to her torso and cascaded in waves around her legs. Her hair was in soft curls behind her back and her face glowed. She was ethereal.

“You look…” _Magnificent. Stunning. Incandescent._

“Passable?” Rey tried to guess.

“Amazing,” he breathed out. And Rey, the little scavenger, the desert hellcat, the feral sand goblin, _blushed_. What things it did to him.

“Thanks. Can you help me?” she looked at him unsurely. “I’m no good with heels.”

Kylo was holding her hand before he could process the question.

The evening was torture. He wanted to snarl at any man who as much as looked at her. And there were _plenty_. It wasn’t surprising, but it drove him nuts. And then there was Rey herself. She fit him perfectly. Her small hand in his, her delicate figure pressed into his side, everything about her was so perfect it was unsettling. Kylo was dazed. When his mother introduced her to Mon, the three of them instantly started a conversation regarding foster care and no one would have guessed it was Rey’s first grand event ever. It was insane.

Desperate to clear his head, Kylo slipped out onto the balcony to get a breath of fresh air. It was barely a few minutes, but when he returned, Rey wasn’t there. He looked around, confused. Where could she disappear to? It was then he heard a loud crash. With a start he realized that his little scavenger had tripped into a waiter with a tray of champagne and they both toppled down. And _he_ wasn’t there to catch her.

“Miss, are you OK?” the boy asked anxiously as Rey tried to straighten him up and simultaneously clean up the glass.

“I’m so sorry! Let me help you. Are you alright? Are you hurt?” she fussed over the waiter like it was _her_ job to do so.

“Rey!” Kylo forced his way through the crowd of patrons, ready to bite the boy’s head off. How dared he?! 

The waiter gasped as he noticed the stains on his white uniform. “Miss, you’re bleeding.”

Rey’s eyes rounded in horror.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Can I pay for the dry cleaning?”

Kylo had had enough. Two more steps – and he finally reached her.

“Rey, come here,” he demanded, scooping her into a bridal carry.

“What are you doing?” she squeaked nervously, cautiously eyeing the murmuring crowd.

“My job,” Kylo gritted, glaring at anyone who tried to slow them down. “Taking care of you.”

He carried Rey away from the crowd, to the staff area, gently lowering her onto a settee. One of the waiters appeared with a first-aid kit that Kylo grabbed out of his hands before these idiots could do any more damage. Upon closer inspection it turned out that Rey had scraped her knee and had a few minor cuts from the glass, with one bleeding profusely. She hissed when the disinfectant hit the wound.

“I’m sorry, does it hurt?” he asked, gently blowing on the cut.

Rey tried to smile.

“It’s fine. Thank you,” she added when he gently put a band-aid on it. Her face had a strange expression as if she couldn’t put a finger on what was exactly happening. Well, neither could Kylo.

“You’re welcome. I think it’s time for us to go home,” he muttered gruffly, picking her up into a bridal carry again.

“Kylo, no!” Rey protested loudly. “Put me down, I can walk.”

“In those heels? Not gonna happen, sweetheart,” he snorted.

“People are watching,” she mumbled into his shoulder with embarrassment.

Wasn’t that the story of his life. “People are watching, Benny,” “people are watching, Ren,” “for your family,” “for your company,” “for your legacy,” “for your reputation.” As if he gave a flying fuck!

“Let them,” Kylo smirked.

Unsurprisingly, his morning began with Leia marching into his office with Hux and Bazine flanking her. His mother looked like the cat that got the canary and if Kylo had been able to sleep properly the previous night instead of overthinking his complicated emotions, he would have snapped something at her. Too bad he could barely muster a half-glare.

“Tell me Rey is not coming to work today.” 

“She definitely is,” Hux responded. “She’ll be here for the briefing.”

As if on cue Rey opened the door, smiling brightly.

“Hi, am I late?”

She didn’t look like the ethereal goddess from yesterday in her jeans and sweater, no, she looked like herself and damn, was she attractive. Kylo had to stifle a groan.

“Why are you here? You were hurt.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “It’s just a scratch, Mama Bear, no need to fuss. So what happened?” she asked.

Bazine grinned from ear to ear. “You’d better sit.”

Kylo wasn’t surprised that the incident made the news, but he _was_ surprised to see the glossy covers showing him and Rey. Him picking her up in a bridal carry, him kneeling to inspect her scratches, him leaning closer to her as if for a kiss… But they hadn’t been going to kiss, had they? Rey hadn’t looked at his lips, definitely not.

“Oh my God!” she squeaked, her eyes wide. “How did this happen? No, when did it happen?”

He shrugged. “We were in public, what were you expecting?” As Rey processed the information, Kylo perused the magazines. “ _Cinderella, A Love Story_ ”? That’s a tad much.”

“They even interviewed that poor boy,” Bazine informed them, pulling up the video on her tablet. Kylo recognized the waiter from yesterday, in the daylight he didn’t even look eighteen, too damn young to handle such an event. Baz skipped the beginning where the channel introduced themselves and a Temiri Blagg and pressed play.

“...I mean, it wasn’t my first gig, but I have never meet someone like her,” the boy was saying dreamily. “Usually the patrons are distant or conceited, sometimes rude, but Miss Niima was nothing like that. She asked if I was hurt, even offered to pay for my dry cleaning, like a real-life Disney princess. I’ve had heiresses yell at me for less. Mr. Ren is a lucky man,” he wistfully sighed. “Sure, I was fired, but it was worth it.”

Rey’s brows drew together. “He was _fired_?”

“That’s what happens when you fuck up at your job,” Kylo responded pointedly. Had the guy reacted faster, Rey wouldn’t have been sporting band-aids today.

Her face hardened, and damn if it didn’t make her more alluring. “It was my fault. _I_ fell, not him. You _know_ how bad I am with heels.”

“Rey.”

“Look,” she went on stubbornly, “I worked as a waitress, multiple times; it’s a hard, thankless job and this boy didn’t even get any tips. He doesn’t deserve to be fired for _my_ mistakes,” she finished with fire in her eyes.

“That’s not how things work.”

“ _I don’t care_.” Rey looked at him like she was challenging him to a battle and Kylo was losing it. Badly. “That’s how things _should_ work. Leia, what can I do?”

His mother looked between them shrewdly. “How about a little statement?”

“You hate public exposure,” he tried to reason with her, to which Rey just shook her head.

“Some things are worth it.”

And just like that a group of hand-picked, well-trained journalists was invited on the premises for an exclusive interview as a follow-up to the statement Ren’s new mysterious girlfriend had released. Through the glass wall of the meeting room Kylo could see them eating out of the palm of her hand as Rey ranted about low wages, hard work, and unfair employee treatment. She was so confident and convincing that he could tell the guy, what’s-his-name, would have his job back by the end of the day. Gone was the shy, defensive desert cat; Rey was magnificent.

“She’s unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath.

“I can’t tell whether that was disapproval or a compliment,” Leia commented wryly.

“Both,” Kylo answered without taking his eyes off his ‘girlfriend.’

“Rey is a very special young woman, Ben,” his mother stated quietly. 

“Yes,” he nodded. “Yes, she is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've put a link with Rey's dress in the text, please tell me if it doesn't work.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bazine is the shipping queen, Rey changes her living arrangements and Rose thinks that denial isn't just the river in Egypt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there. If you wondered where was the drabble update last week, the twice-a-week update got indefinitely postponed. I'm not doing particularly good health-wise right now, so I'm trying to focus on this WIP to get at least something done. Hopefully, I'll get my shit back together soon, but for the time being it will be just this fic. Sorry for making you think I'm a functional adult 🙈
> 
> Warning: this chapter contains attempted assault. Nothing to explicit and ends up with a scare, but please skip the part from the first break to the second if it worries you.
> 
> Many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley!

When Mitaka mumbled that Hux wanted to see him, Kylo didn't think too much about it. His Tuesday routine included passing the COO's office anyway. What he didn't expect was to see Rey arrive there at the same time. Surprises never ceased, because when Hux's chair turned to them, it revealed a completely different occupant than the obnoxious ginger. 

"Bazine?" Rey asked confusedly.

The other woman leaned back with a self-satisfied grin, her chin resting on her joined fingertips.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I invited you here," she delivered like a wannabe Bond villain. 

Rey frowned.

"What's going on?"

"Where's Hux?" Kylo demanded. He didn’t have all day for this nonsense.

Bazine's smile deepened.

"He remembered something he had to do in the R&D department. Very busy right now," she responded lightly.

"Quit the bullshit, Netal. I have Mandalorian markets to think about."

Bazine rolled her eyes. "No need to be so rude when I’m the one working on your image."

He scoffed in annoyance. "Now do we have to wear couple’s sweaters?" Kylo asked snidely, still bitter about the ridiculous photoset the woman bullied him into.

She looked genuinely offended. "Hey, the Good Boi Sweater worked wonders! But no, that's not why I wanted to see you, even though the idea is tempting."

"OK, out with it," Rey hastily interjected, probably realizing that he was going to blow up at any second.

"Remember how we talked about a good couple image?" Bazine patiently waited for them to nod. "You need to up your game."

Kylo and Rey shared a confused look.

"Er?"

"Kissing," the infernal PR stated with a maniacal smile. "I want you two to kiss."

"No," he responded flatly.

Bazine ignored him completely.

"After that little stunt you pulled at the gala the public craves romance. Give them something."

"I said no."

Any normal person would leave it be, but not Bazine.

"Geez, Ren, I'm not asking you to do softcore porn, just a little kiss. Relax. You want that Mandalorian deal? This is the way."

"I'm not doing anything to make Rey uncomfortable." Not to mention how uncomfortable _he_ would be, embarrassing himself in public. Things already were way out of hand.

"You're not," Rey piped in like the devil's advocate she was.

"What?" Kylo turned to her incredulously. There was no way he heard her right.

"I'm not," she repeated, bushing adorably. "Uncomfortable, that is. We can, you know, for your image." 

"See?" Bazine said with glee. "Now kiss."

"Do you have a voyeuristic kink I should know about?" Kylo snapped at her.

She just scoffed.

"I'm just dedicated to my job."

"I see." He turned to the door abruptly, completely ignoring the PR. "Come on, Rey."

"Hey!"

Kylo closed the door shut behind him, ignoring the outraged yelps.

"Sorry about her," he said, not quite looking at Rey. Goodness, it was embarrassing. What could she be thinking about this mess?

"Kylo, I'm fine."

"Still."

"I mean, I'm fine with kissing." Now that he risked a look at her he saw that she was flustered, but not disgusted. How odd. "It's just for show, right?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Am I that unappealing?" she raised her eyebrow in challenge.

Kylo gaped at her. If he had his way, he would show her how ‘unappealing’ she was.

"What are you talking about? I had my hands all over you the day we met. I almost got the scars to prove it."

Rey rolled her eyes with a smile. "Big baby. Just... do it, OK? You know." She widely gestured with her hand.

"Right." He shuddered to think how he was going to kiss this incredibly tempting woman and not give too much of a show for the paparazzi. "I'd rather practice it beforehand," Kylo muttered to himself.

Rey's eyes rounded.

"Oh."

"I mean..."

"You're right," she said awkwardly, "we'd be more comfortable that way. Let's just..."

He had died and woken up in alternative reality where Rey wanted to kiss him. Insane. Kylo checked the corridor. Empty. He gently cupped her cheek.

"Is this all right?"

Rey's eyes locked on his lips and she blushed.

"Yes."

He leaned in and finally captured her lips. Just for science, right?

It’s a good thing they had practiced, Rey thought to herself smugly, or otherwise the photos of Kylo kissing her in their private box at the Coruscant Metropolitan Opera (fancy much?) could have turned out awkward. Not that she had enjoyed the practice, of course. It wasn’t her fault her ‘boyfriend’ was blessed with a pair of particularly kissable lips. Just a side perk of the job.

They ended up being spotted by some Instagrammer or other and soon the photos were all over the internet. Bazine was absolutely ecstatic. Hux grunted something about Mandalor valuing devoted relationships. Rose couldn’t stop gushing over how much she shipped them.

Oddly, Rey started getting used to the whole buzz. Back when she’d agreed to the whole fake-dating thing, she dreaded it. The only two people Rey wanted to recognize her… well, they still could, couldn’t they? But now she was more or less used to her new status and was willing to use it. At least that boy Temiri was grateful for her intervention.

Smiling to herself, Rey shed her jacked and toed off her shoes. After an intense week she deserved some time for herself. Her school papers were submitted, her work was going fine, and Bazine had no more evil plans for her this weekend. Neither did Rey’s friends. Rose had gone with her sister to see their parents and Finn mentioned a romantic getaway with Poe. Maybe it was time for a bubble bath and catching up on that Netflix show at last.

She was in the middle of the movie when a loud knock on her door started her. Rey unlocked it with a frown.

“Teedo? What are you doing here?”

Her landlord grinned, alcohol fumes penetrating her apartment.

“Collecting rent.”

“Rent is not due for two days,” she responded flatly.

Truthfully, Rey never liked Teedo. He was a friend of Unkar’s, which was hardly a recommendation, he was a sleazeball, and he clearly overcharged. Alas, it was still cheap enough and close enough to her school and work and it was her own. She’d considered moving out a couple of times, but the idea of extra expenses was something she still had to get used to.

“Oh, but that’s not a problem for you,” Her landlord sneered, pushing himself inside.

Rey bristled. “Excuse me?”

“You’re a rich little girl now, aren’t you?” Teedo assessed her, eyes travelling up and down.

“I think you are mistaken.”

“Am I?” he drawled. “I didn’t believe my ears when Unkar told me you quit.”

“It was a long time coming,” she responded coldly, barely hiding her disgust. Plutt’s shop was a means to an end she didn’t need anymore.

“Ah, I know. Little Rey is too good for anyone,” the man taunted her.

She started losing her patience. “What do you want?”

“I want my rent.”

Once again Rey praised herself for always being prepared – she kept the envelope with her rent prepared in her bag and didn’t need to go too far.

“Satisfied? Now go.”

Teedo gave her a slow once-over, pausing on her new clothes. “This covers only half.”

Rey almost laughed. “Since when?”

“Since I raised your rent,” her landlord responded smugly.

“What the fuck, Teedo?” she demanded sharply. “This shoebox is barely worth the money you take as it is!”

“You only had a discount because you were Unkar’s girl,” he threw back.

Rey narrowed her eyes. “I’m no one’s girl.”

“Is that so?” he leered, unfolding a crumpled page out of a magazine with a photo from the gala. “And here I thought you’ve got yourself a nice money bag.”

“Look…”

“I wonder what he sees in a scrawny nobody like you,” Teedo mused, leaning closer in her face. “Although, you might have hidden talents. Is that so?”

Rey saw red. “ _Get out_.”

“Oh no, you don’t get to talk to me like that,” the man hissed dangerously, grabbing her arm. “Be nice, little girl.”

“Let go of me!” Rey cried out.

Teedo tried to get ahold of her free arm instead. This close, she could smell the alcohol on his breath. Rey’s blood froze. The pig had never touched her before! What should she do?! Panic settled in. He wouldn’t let go of her hands, but her legs were free. Before she knew it, her knee had firmly collided with Teedo’s crotch. He let her go instantly, wailing and cradling his family jewels.

“You bitch!”

Now free, Rey grabbed her pepper spray and aimed it at him.

“Get out!”

“You’ll regret this!” he spat, jumping out of the door as fast as his injuries would allow.

It took her a good several minutes to stop shaking. The adrenaline rush left her with both with a clear head and terrified. Teedo was known for holding one hell of a grudge and he wouldn’t let it slide. Worse, she knew that somewhere he had a duplicate key to her apartment. What if he came in the middle of the night? No, it wasn’t safe to stay.

Panicking, Rey threw her laptop and essentials into her overnight bag, hastily making it out of her apartment while jumping at every noise and shadow. She wasn’t living in a good part of town to begin with. Who knew what could be lurking in the dark alleys. Damn, she should have called Uber straight away, it was too late for buses.

Of course it started raining. Shivering at the bus stop, Rey checked her phone with trembling fingers. Almost dead. Crap. Of course she had forgotten to charge it. Rey tried Finn’s number. No response. She tried again. Nothing. Poe’s went straight to voicemail. Shit, they were both out of town, she realized dimly. Desperate, Rey called Rose. Of course her phone was also unavailable.

Hot tears burned her eyes when she tried Finn again. 

“Somebody. Anybody. Please.”

No luck. Rose was right, she should have gotten out more, maybe then she would have more friends. Who else was there? Who would be available at this hour? A cold gust of wind made the decision for her.

“K-Kylo?”

“Rey?” His voice was gruff from sleep and confused. “What’s wrong?”

“I-“ To her deepest embarrassment she burst into tears.

“Rey!” Kylo instantly turned frantic. “Are you OK?”

“Sorry,” she sniffed, feeling herself every inch the wet shivering idiot she was.

“Sweetheart, breathe. Tell me what’s going on.”

Damn, if only his voice wasn’t so concerned. It’s that worry that broke her all over again.

“M-my landlord, he…“

On the other side Kylo cursed.

“Tell me where you are,” he commanded authoritatively, leaving her no room to back out. As she rattled off the address he cursed again. “Fuck, Rey. Are you safe? I’ll be there in twenty. Don’t turn off your phone.”

Finally her shoulders dropped in relief. 

Kylo showed up in fifteen minutes, dressed in black pants and a sweatshirt instead of one of his usual suits, his hair deliciously ruffled from sleep. Never in her life was she so happy to see another person. He wrapped her trembling form into a bear hug, uncaring that she was cold and wet.

“Rey, sweetheart, you’re all right?”

“I’m so sorry I woke you up,” she mumbled into his chest guiltily. It felt so nice to be warm again.

“It’s fine. You’re shivering,” Kylo noticed with worry. “Let’s get you into the car.”

Rey looked so small and miserable, he couldn’t believe his eyes. His fierce little hellcat was scared and cold, all because some asshole dared to threaten her in her own home. Ever since her call, Kylo wanted his blood. The urge to find the fucker and make sure his ugly face would never see daylight again was overpowered only by the urge to keep Rey safe. These streets were hardly safe.

Why hadn’t he thought about her living arrangements? This place wasn’t suitable for her, not on his watch. If he had any say in it, she wouldn’t be coming back.

From the corner of his eye he could see Rey hunching in her seat, hugging her bag. It was all wrong, she was supposed to be fierce and belligerent. Kylo vowed to fix that.

Rey tentatively trailed after him around his home, her fingers clutching her bag in a death grip.

“That’s all your things?” he asked, eyeing it.

Her jaw tensed.

“I had to leave some behind.”

“We’ll pick them up tomorrow.” And he personally wouldn’t mind speaking to the bastard who scared her while they were there. “Do you want anything? Food, drink?”

“Water,” she asked shyly. Now that she was warm again, Rey started to eye his home awkwardly. “I’m so sorry to intrude.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Kylo shook his head. “Let me show you to your room,” he offered as he handed her the water. “The bathroom is attached. My bedroom is down the hall. Do you want an extra blanket?”

Rey nodded shyly.

In an afterthought, he also grabbed an old t-shirt and shorts just in case. She would probably drown in them, but at least she would have something comfortable to sleep in. Besides, seeing her in his clothes seemed like a tempting idea.

He opened the door and froze at the sight of Rey in only a towel. Damn if it wasn’t burned in his brain now.

“Sorry,” he squeaked, turning around abruptly. “I thought you might want something to change into.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled, taking the clothes and darting into the bathroom.

“All good?” he called.

When she emerged, she looked as cute as he imagined and the possessive side of him purred in delight.

“Call me if you need anything,” Kylo soldiered on awkwardly, trying not to look at her too much. “You can lock the door if you want,” he added, assuming she would like the extra security.

“Thank you,” Rey whispered gratefully.

“You’re welcome. Good night.”

“Kylo?”

He turned to her. “Yes?”

“Can you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep,” she asked tentatively.

He simply wasn’t strong enough to refuse.

“Of course,” Kylo responded, climbing on top of the covers. Just for a while, he thought, but the quietness of the room along with the sound of Rey’s breathing quickly lulled him to sleep.

The next time he opened his eyes it was already morning. During the night his little scavenger somehow found a way to burrow close to his chest and he had his arm wrapped around her over the cover. Asleep, she was so soft and innocent he couldn’t stop looking at her. But he had to. He had to protect her. 

Reluctantly, Kylo disentangled himself from Rey, pausing only to tuck her in and to kiss the crown of her head. She’d earned her sweet dreams. And he had his COO to call.

“Hux.”

“Good morning to you, too,” the ginger responded primly like he was always in work mode.

“I want you to find everything there is on Rey’s landlord and I want him _obliterated_ ,” Kylo barked out an order.

“Pardon?”

“The bastard tried to assault her yesterday,” he spat in fury.

“What?!” Hux cried out. “Is she OK? Is she safe? Are you OK? Do I need to call your lawyer? Are the police involved?”

“She’s with me. No cops involved.”

Hux paused, thinking. “Is the guy still alive?” he asked carefully.

Kylo had to acknowledge that Hux knew him too well.

“Yes,” _for now_. “Only because Rey won’t be happy if I murder him.” _She would probably do it herself._

The ginger sighed in relief. “Of course. I’ll sic Andor on him.”

“Good.” Kylo smiled vindictively. Andor was both a great lawyer and terrifyingly ruthless when it came to protecting someone. Rey’s offender would regret the day he was born.

“Ren.” Hux’s voice was oddly soft.

“What?”

“Just… don’t hurt her, OK?”

Kylo thought of Rey sleeping, so small, so delicate. How could he?

“I won’t. I promise.”

He was almost done cooking breakfast when a sleepy Rey padded into the kitchen.

“Mornin’” she yawned.

He tried his best not to stare as she stretched.

“How are you?” Kylo asked gently.

Her eyes zeroed in on the frying pan.

“Breakfast! I’m good,” she responded, deftly stealing some bacon.

So, the appetite was back. He passed her a plate with a shake of his head.

“Thank you. Hope I’m not crimping your style too much.”

“No, of course not,” he responded hastily. Rey could never crimp his style, on the contrary, she looked perfect here, like she was meant to be in his home. Though it was unlikely she’d feel the same. “What are you going to do next?” he wondered when they settled with their plates.

“I guess I’ll have to move in with my friend Finn,” Rey mused, “at least temporarily.”

Kylo’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why?” Why would she need to move in with a friend when _he_ had a perfectly serviceable spare room?

“I don’t think it’s safe to stay in my apartment,” she murmured, studiously looking into her plate.

“I mean, why not move in here?”

Rey lifted her head, adorably baffled. “Eh?”

“I have space,” Kylo said as nonchalantly as possible, “besides, everyone thinks we’re dating already.”

She blinked, clearly processing the information.

He waited with bated breath.

“I don’t want to be in your way,” Rey murmured shyly.

Kylo shook his head, relieved that she was considering the idea at all.

“You won’t be. It’s not like I’m even home most of the time.” Now that was a lie. Ever since they started this whole fake-dating arrangement, Leia told him not to go to any places with excess alcohol and socially irresponsible young women, not that he wanted to.

“What about your love life?” she frowned confusedly.

Kylo smirked. “What love life?” At first their arrangement was too important to screw it up with an accidental slip and then.… Then he just didn’t want anyone else. “You know you’re my only girlfriend,” he tried to joke.

Rey laughed, her nose scrunching adorably.

“Well, in that case… OK.”

“Yeah?” he asked with hope, a smile stretching his lips.

She smiled back bashfully.

“Yeah.”

After, Rey offered to do the dishes, which Kylo refused, pointedly loading the dishwasher. She stayed back, looking awkward and unsure.

“Kylo, do you think you can go with me?”

He immediately understood what she meant. Her apartment.

“Of course.” Hopefully, her pig of a landlord would be there, too. Kylo would really, _really_ like to chat with the guy.

It was a good thing he went with Rey because her apartment was trashed. Everything that could be broken or thrown or torn, was on the floor. Clothes, books, and utensils were cracked, stained, or otherwise damaged. Admittedly, there wasn’t much. Rey owned incredibly little. Worse, everything looked terribly cheap. But it seemed what was garbage for him, was precious to her. His poor girl looked on the verge of tears. 

“Hey,” Kylo said gently, “it’s just things.”

“But…” Rey sniffed, picking up an old used textbook, “they were pricey. I worked so hard for these books.”

He never realised how spoiled he was with brand-new everything. Never in his life would he consider a second-hand book expensive. Kylo had no idea how it felt to count every penny; for Rey, though, it was the reality. How unfair was that?

“Things are just things,” he urged her gently. “We can replace them. You can’t replace _you_.”

“I…” she sniffed.

“I’ll buy you new ones,” Kylo promised, meaning it. “Whatever you want. It’s partially my fault.” His eyes pleaded with her to understand, to let him take care of her. Finally, Rey acquiesced.

“OK.”

It was insane how Kylo’s mere presence had turned her life upside down and put it back together. Rey spent a day and half in peace, going through her textbooks and other things, listing whatever had to be replaced and having it magically appear, all the while enjoying the delicious home-made meals her ‘boyfriend’ made just for her. And then Finn turned his phone back on.

If she ever had doubted that her friend was a mother hen, all her doubts would have disappeared. Finn completely freaked out and made Poe speed all the way home just to check on her. And he _wasn’t pleased_ with what he found.

“You did _what?_!”

Rey winced. “Don’t yell please.”

“ _Moved_ in _?! After your landlord did_ what _?!_ ”

“Babe, she’s scared already,” Poe tried to calm his boyfriend down before he started hyperventilating.

“Rey, this guy tried to assault you once!” Finn insisted with wide eyes.

“And I had it handled,” Rey retorted stubbornly. Kylo was nothing like Teedo, he never tried to actually hurt her. “We understand each other.”

“Peanut, please, just move in with me,” he begged with his best puppy dog eyes.

Rey sighed. Why was he so stubborn? His apartment was a bit bigger, true, but it came with a roommate and the two men coexisted peacefully only because Nines’s working hours were opposite Finn’s.

“You barely have any space as it is,” Rey protested, not wanting to disrupt her friend’s life. “I have a whole room to myself.”

“Not to mention a completely whipped fake boyfriend,” Poe added smugly. “What? I saw the photos, he keeps making goo-goo eyes at you.”

Rey flushed at the implication. “It’s not like that.”

“Sure, Jan. He just loves saving damsels in distress,” Poe mocked her.

Finn sent him a glare.

“Rey is _no damsel_.”

“You know what I mean.”

Finn turned to Rey with his arms folded. “I d _on’t_ like it.”

She sighed. “I know. But please, trust me on this.”

“If you think there’s something fishy for _a second_ , get out,” he said sternly.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mom.”

A week after she had settled into her routine with Kylo, Rose half-pleaded, half-bullied her into a girls’ night with Paige. If she was honest, Rey had been curious about Rose’s amazing and perfect older sister for a while. She wasn’t disappointed. Paige turned out to be as beautiful and welcoming as Rose said, instantly hugging and thanking her for taking care of her baby sister. It felt amazing to be on the receiving end of such affection. Rose was so lucky.

The girls ordered pizza, opened a bottle of wine and just let themselves relax, another new experience for Rey.

“So, why did I hear that you moved in with Kylo from Tallie and not from you?” Rose prodded her teasingly.

Rey gulped. What should she say?

“It’s… very new.”

Her friend giggled. “I don’t know, you act like an old married couple.”

“Those photos…” Paige fanned herself. “Phew, hot and romantic.”

“What about you and Hux?” Rey desperately tried to deflect.

“Armitage?” Rose asked curiously. “He seems sweet. But there's nothing going on. Not like with you and Ren, you cheeky minx,” she laughed.

Rey flushed from embarrassment. The wine was starting to go to her head.

“Look, it’s not what it seems.”

Before the girls could ask her anything Paige’s phone started ringing.

“Hold on, I need to take this.”

As she left the room, Rose turned her whole attention on Rey. “What do you mean? He’s head over heels for you.”

The girl laughed. Now that was funny.

“He’s not. We’re not really dating.”

“What?!”

Rey covered her mouth in horror. What had she done?!

Paige took the moment to come back, looking very guilty. “Sorry, girls,” she apologized. “The model bailed out of a shoot and I owe a favour. Raincheck?”

“Yep.” Rose nodded, smiling at her sister. As soon as Paige left, she turned back with an outraged expression. “What the fuck, Rey?”

_Oh God, what had she done?_

“I wasn’t supposed to tell you. Shit! Baz will murder me.”

Rose scoffed loudly. “I bet. Spill.”

“It’s a PR ploy for Kylo’s reputation. I get employment, he gets good boyfriend kudos. It’s all fake,” Rey immediately responded. It felt good to tell someone after all. Wine helped, too.

“Are you sure?” Rose asked dubiously. “I see how he looks at you. At least some things are real, Rey.”

 _No, it couldn’t be._ _No way._ “You’re wrong.”

Rose gave her a dirty look. “Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to every Bazine out there. Yes, to you, too.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carise being a bitch behind the scenes, Snoke creeping closer and Kylo doing a dumb thing again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, than you to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley!

Kylo rubbed at his eyes in exhaustion. Perhaps Leia was right and he did need computer glasses. The upcoming deal with Beskar Steel was syphoning away all his energy. The burgeoning Mandalorian market was a coveted target, albeit a complicated one, as the religious, closed-off country had always resisted the import of foreign goods, preferring to support national production. If only they could manage to win Beskar over, to become their official dealer.… Right, good thing Hux wanted to see him, he really could use a break.

Kylo noticed that his COO looked oddly uncomfortable, like a bearer of bad news. What was it this time?

“You said it was urgent? It’s not something related to Beskar, I hope?”

The ginger shook his head.

“No, nothing like that. It’s the gala.”

“What about it?” Everyone who wanted to comment on the whole bridal carry ordeal had already done that. It was old news already. What could possibly make Hux worried?

“Well, Bazine went through the photos and found something interesting,” the COO informed him, pulling the pictures up on his tablet. “Look.”

At first Kylo wasn’t sure what he was seeing, just a bunch of standard photos of the patrons from the event. That was until he caught a glimpse of a bronze-skinned woman in a golden dress, a disturbingly familiar woman.

“What the fuck?” he cursed under his breath. “What was _Carise_ doing there?”

Every time she reappeared in his life, it was to screw something up. How he could have ever been stupid enough to be in love with her he had no idea.

“Not just that. It gets better,” Hux scoffed, shuffling through the photos. “A minute before Rey’s fall,” he pointed at a photo of Carise moving casually through the crowd. “Thirty seconds.” This time she was in the same frame with a pale pink dress, Rey’s dress. “Twenty seconds after.” Rey was on the ground while Carise glanced back at her from the confused crowd with a slight smirk. Apparently, somewhere between the two moments, their paths had crossed. So Rey wasn’t that bad in heels?

“What? You think she tripped her?” Kylo asked with a frown. It actually was something petty enough for Carise to have done.

“I believe she stepped on her train,” Hux responded pensively.

It was quite plausible and very, very juvenile.

“Damn, that’s low even for her,” the man muttered, shaking his head. His ex was one piece of work.

“That’s not what I’m worried about. If Carise is back, Snoke might be around as well,” the ginger pointed out, his eyes concerned.

Kylo’s face darkened.

“You think he knows about Mandalore.” It wasn’t a question. Five years later, Snoke still had ears everywhere.

“About Rey for sure.”

Of course he would. His former boss was a huge fan of control and mind games, he would know such things. 

“He’ll try to use her against me,” Kylo realized with a start. Shit, deep, deep shit. Why hadn’t he thought about it before? Right, because he never dated.

“If he hasn’t already.” Hux’s face was equally dark.

Snoke had that effect on people.

“Fuck.” Why now of all times?

“Just keep your eyes open,” the ginger advised.

“So what was so important that you made me come to the other side of the city at rush hour?” Kylo scowled openly at his mother. He hated visiting her office – too many repressed memories and snickers from Kaydel.

“You could have left the office earlier, Benny,” Leia gently scolded him. “You haven’t forgotten about your father’s birthday, have you?”

“As if,” he grumbled. Han’s birthday was hardly his most anticipated event, his relationship with his father being quite tense. Even after all these years, Kylo felt like he could never be the son Han craved, despite reassurances. Not that the reassurance came from his daddy dearest.…

“Good,” Leia beamed. “Your father misses you. Even though he might not show it _. Solo men_ ,” she muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

“Does he now?” Kylo scoffed.

His mother levelled him with a heavy stare.

“ _Yes, Ben_. So please be civil.”

Civil, huh. Civil could only stretch so far.

“Is _he_ going to be there?”

Leia narrowed her eyes. “ _He_ has a name and _he_ is your uncle. For the love of God, quit being a baby.”

“Like he would,” Kylo scoffed pettily. It had been years and the _disagreement_ between the two men was still fresh.

“He _will_ be,” his mother enunciated. _Whether Luke liked it or not_ was left unsaid. “And don’t forget to bring Rey,” she finished cheerfully.

“Fine.”

Not that he was particularly eager to introduce the poor girl to his dysfunctional family. Unfortunately, it would look odd if Kylo didn’t do this, so.... Life was tough like that.

“Anyway,” Leia continued cheerfully, fishing out a jewelry box from her drawer. “I was cleaning some things, my jewelry included, and found this.”

He tentatively opened the velvet box and almost choked –Breha’s engagement ring in all its glory, complete with Alderaanian emerald, was right there.

“Mom! Rey and I aren’t like that!” Kylo sputtered in shock.

Leia merely smirked. 

“Funny where your mind just went. I know that you two aren’t involved,” she continued with perfect nonchalance, “but I’ve always hoped my daughter-in-law would wear this ring, therefore it’s only reasonable for you to have it. Just put it in your safe for the time being.”

Deep down Kylo had a feeling that there was more to this than Leia let on, yet he couldn’t help but be touched by the gesture. His mother trusted him with her cherished heirloom, he couldn’t believe it.

“Thank you,” he murmured softly, “this means a lot to me.”

She looked at him with a gentle smile on her lips. “I know, Benny. I want you to be happy… and give me some cute grandkids to spoil,” she finished in typical Leia fashion.

“Mom!” 

“Sorry, sorry. I just think that her freckles would look good with your hair,” she added innocently.

_“Mom!”_

“Hey, sweetheart.”

Rey smiled at Kylo, absentmindedly rising to give him a peck on the cheek. Ever since they started living together (as in the same house), little casual gestures of affection came easily. Quick kisses, hugs and cuddles for the sake of observers were becoming their normal and deep down she started to wonder if that’s what relationships looked like. It kind of felt nice.

“What’s up?” she asked happily.

Her ‘boyfriend’ squirmed.

“Has Leia called you? My father’s birthday is, um, coming up and you’re invited,” he mumbled begrudgingly.

Rey’s eyes widened in excitement.

“Your father? As in _Han Solo’s_ birthday? Yes, yes, yes!” she squealed, bouncing up and down like a kid on sugar. Incredible! She would meet the famous Han Solo himself, the man who made the Kessel Run in twelve minutes! It was like something out of a dream.

Kylo, on the other hand, looked like he didn’t know whether to scowl or to laugh. “Calm down, it’s not half as fun as you might think. Just family, his friends, my uncle.”

Too busy being on cloud nine, Rey barely processed his words.

“Wait. You have an uncle?”

Now he was openly scowling.

“Yeah. Luke.” Noticing that she still hadn’t figured it out, he gritted, “Luke Skywalker. Mom’s twin.”

Rey was floored. “Luke Skywalker is _your uncle_?! He’s my hero!” How incredible was that – meeting two of her inspirations in one day. Rey was so damn lucky! “I was heartbroken when I found out he left Coruscant before I even started. He’s just…” she couldn’t even find her words to describe how amazing he was.

“Disappointing,” Kylo finished for her. 

Rey gaped at him. “Hey!”

“A boring grumpy old man,” he continued, unperturbed.

What the hell was that? Was he jealous or something?

“Now you’re just a party pooper,” she retorted with annoyance. “Skywalker is a living legend.”

Kylo, ever the ass, scoffed. “Sometimes legends are better than reality.”

Rey decided not to deny herself the pleasure of a healthy eyeroll.

“Fine, Mr. Grumpy. I’ll introduce myself then. Maybe I could even get to see his lab…” she trailed off dreamily, ignoring the look of outraged incredulity on her ‘boyfriend’s’ face. A famous professor’s private lab, every girl’s dream!

Rey walked on air for days, eager to meet her personal heroes, and even Kylo’s grumpy presence couldn’t dampen her mood. She was going to a place with delicious food and amazing company and Kaydel had even allowed her to wear nice pants instead of a fancy dress. Wasn’t it amazing?

“You didn’t tell me this place was an actual castle!” Rey cried out in delight as the car slowed down in front of an extremely fancy restaurant. Kylo, an absolute snack in his suit, not that she noticed, just shot her his signature infuriating smirk.

“Why did you think it was called “The Castle”, huh? Maz, the owner, is a tad eccentric,” he said fondly.

“Is the food any good?” Rey anxiously wondered. She wasn’t exactly ready for fried scorpions or pickled eggs.

Kylo’s grin made her relax. “The best.”

They were escorted to their table, already filled with who she assumed was Kylo’s family. This close to Han Solo she could see the unmistakable similarities between the father and the son. Now she could tell where Kylo’s brashness, charm, and confidence were coming from.

“Happy birthday, Father,” her boyfriend offered stiffly as the two men attempted a hug that left them looking incredibly awkward and Leia delighted. “This is Rey.”

“Hi!” she beamed, turning her smile on maximum. “Happy birthday.”

Han’s face was pure delight.

“Finally! The girl I heard so much about. Trying to make an honest man out of my kid?” he teased her with a smirk so similar to his son’s.

“I might be,” she responded cheekily.

The man barked out a laugh. “Welcome to the family.”

Leia promptly took charge after that, introducing her to everyone else, including her old friend Amilyn, Kylo’s godfather Lando with his girlfriend, Han’s lifelong friend Chewie, and of course Luke Skywalker. Rey almost passed out on the spot.

“Dr. Skywalker, it’s such an honor to meet you,” she gushed excitedly. “You’re a huge inspiration for me!”

The man looked mildly uncomfortable to her, instantly making her feel guilty. Why did she have to fangirl this badly?

“Thanks, I guess.”

“I was so sorry to hear it when you left Coruscant University,” she continued, trying to fix her misstep.

Luke didn’t take the hint.

“Got fed up teaching those idiots,” he responded gruffly, subtly eyeing his nephew. “Have a private lab now. Calm, quiet.”

Rey flushed.

“Told you,” Kylo mouthed smugly, not even a little bit offended by the allusion.  
“Luke, don’t be a grump,” his sister chastised him.

“Yeah, no need to scare my future daughter-in-law,” Han quipped easily. “I heard you’re into cars?”

“Yes. My degree is in mechanical engineering,” Rey eagerly jumped on the topic. “I love the FO facilities, though I really hope to see Dr. Skywalker’s lab one day,” she added shyly, unable to help herself.

“No.”

“Luke!” Leia cried out.

The man just glared.

“What, sister? I remember you and Han at that age, like fucking rabbits. Not in my sacred lab!”

To say that Rey was mortified was an understatement.

“I didn’t need to know that!” Kylo piped in angrily.

“Where do you think you were conceived?” his uncle shot back.

“In the Falcon’s backseat,” Han interjected without a second thought.

The rest of the table snickered. Rey wished the ground would swallow her.

“We have one hell of a family dynamic,” Lando winked at her, clearly enjoying the bickering.

“For crying out loud!” Leia finally snapped. “People are watching!”

“Should have booked us a separate room,” her husband shot back.

“Should have told me you’d be in town!”

“Bathroom break,” Rey mumbled quietly while no one paid attention. She was not prepared for this... this… whatever this was. Five minutes to process weren’t too much to ask.

Some water and the quiet environment of the bathroom helped her to calm herself down. So what if Kylo’s family was a bit insane? She had handled worse. And clearly Kylo needed moral support. With renewed purpose Rey headed out of the bathroom, almost colliding with a gaunt, elderly gentleman. He helped her to steady herself without blinking an eye.

“Young Rey.”

“Do I know you?” she frowned. Who was he? Tall, bald, and creepy. Not that easy to forget.

“I don’t think so,” the man responded smoothly. “You’re Ren’s new partner. The girl from the newspapers.”

“Yes, and?”

He smiled, a process Rey found rather unsettling.

“Don’t be so defensive, child. I mean you no harm.”

“What do you want?” she asked suspiciously. Was he a journalist? Was he fishing for a story?

“Nothing. I just don’t understand how someone as wholesome and innocent as you would be with someone like him,” the man said nonchalantly, like he knew what he was talking about.

Rey bristled.

“Why do you care?”

“That boy only brings destruction to everything he touches,” he said with almost fatherly care. “He’s the flame to your moth. Don’t get close enough to burn.”

“Excuse me?” Now that wasn’t creepy at all.

“I only have your best interests in mind, young Rey,” he smiled again. “Enjoy your evening.”

Guilt gnawed at Kylo as he watched Rey dash to the restroom. He should have prepared her better, given some warning at least. He wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t want to attend any other Organa-Solo-Skywalker family madness ever. If only his father and uncle weren’t… _themselves_.

Fifteen minutes passed. Where was she? Inevitably, when women referred to visiting the bathroom, that also included a bunch of unnecessary make-up related fixes that kept them away three times longer than planned. But then again, Rey didn’t seem like one of those women. Right? What if she ran into someone? What if she was harassed by some gossip-eager patron? What if she got lost? Surely, his family wouldn't miss him for five minutes. Kylo was needed on a rescue mission.

The last thing he expected was to round the corner and see Rey engaged in a conversation with _Snoke_ of all people. The shock was enough to freeze him in place. _How was this possible?_ What was going on? Hux’s warnings flashed through his head. How did they know each other? Was Rey _a spy?_ Shit, shit, shit. She couldn’t have done this to him, could she? No way.

Rey’s posture was decidedly uncomfortable; she wasn’t enjoying the interaction. Should he intervene? He’d cause a scene, definitely. And then Leia would kill him and so would Hux. Bazine, too. Shit.

Finally Snoke gave the poor girl an oily smile and fucked off, the bastard, and not a moment later Kylo, anxious, confused, and angry, made his grand entrance.

“What the fuck was that?” he hissed as Rey glared at him with irritation.

“Excuse me? I’m not allowed to talk to people?” she snapped, too riled up from the encounter.

“Not if they are Snoke, no.”

With relief he observed as her eyes rounded in shocked realization.

“What? That fucker was _Snoke_?!” He barely had a second to catch her before she turned around angrily. “Let me go and rip him a new one!” Rey demanded, ever belligerent.

Kylo had never realized how nice it felt to have someone angry on his behalf. She was on his side after all!

“Calm down,” he pleaded, holding her firmly around her waist. She struggled against his hold, war mode activated, as cute as a tiny vicious kitten. How adorable was that? “Do you see that woman?” he pointed out a lady in bright cat-eye glasses who was observing their table from her own with rapt attention. “She’s the editor-in-chief for Coruscant Nightly, the worst bunch of gossip _ever_. We don’t need a scandal. Not with the Mandalorian deal coming.”

His little hellcat went limp in his arms reluctantly.

“Fine, no scandal, a calm wholesome Rey,” she begrudgingly allowed.

Kylo sighed in relief.

“Yeah, a couply couple.”

“A united front,” she smiled, twining her fingers with his. They were going to make it through the evening and they were going to be fine.

His parents eyed them curiously upon their return.

“Hey, where were you both?”

Before they could answer, Luke piped in.

“Like I said, rabbits,” he muttered disapprovingly to Lando’s delight.

“Luke!” Leia hissed at her twin. The siblings started to bicker again. Kylo groaned.

“He’s still watching,” Rey said quietly, her brows knitted with concern.

“Who’s watching?” Han enthusiastically perked up.

“Snoke,” Kylo said under his breath, surreptitiously eyeing his former boss. His anxiety was spiking. “Fuck, he’s coming over here.”

“Let him,” Han smirked. “I’ve always wanted to have a chat with the bastard.”

All blood left Kylo’s face. “No!”

His father without any doubt would cause a scene, loud and ugly, just like Snoke wanted, and it would be all over the internet and his Mandalorian partners, his heavily traditional, religious Mandalorian partners, wouldn’t want to touch him with a ten-foot pole.

Rey’s expression mirrored his own.

“Do something! Quickly!” she frantically whispered. Kylo gulped. What _could_ he do? They had ten seconds, fifteen tops before all hell broke loose. Panicking, he reached for his phone and met a different object instead. Something square and velvety, a jewelry box? Right, his grandmother’s ring. Kylo wanted to drop it at his bank today and had forgotten about it. How stupidly… _convenient._ In a bout of inspiration, he came up with a horrible, horrible idea. Fuck, he’s going to be so dead.

With one last glance at Snoke Kylo stood up abruptly and turned to his confused ‘girlfriend’.

“Rey, I know we haven’t been together for long…”

Her face morphed into shock. “What the fuck are you doing?” she hissed quietly.

His family suddenly shut up. At least Snoke was as stunned as anyone else.

“…but you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me,” Kylo soldiered on with the desperation of the condemned. His eyes pleaded with her to understand, to play along, when he opened the jewelry box.

The whole table gasped, his mother the loudest.

“Please don’t do this,” Rey mouthed with horror.

He just kept smiling as he dug his own grave.

“You opened my eyes and made my life brighter and better.”

“Please don’t go this way.”

He went down on one knee. Go big or go home. Somewhere camera flashes went off.

“I love you and I want to spend my life with you. Rey Niima, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”

The silence was so complete he could hear a pin drop. Everyone awaited Rey’s response with bated breath. For a second he was absolutely sure she’d throw a drink in his face. But then she gave him the biggest, brightest, most fake grin ever.

“Yes, a thousand times yes!” Rey squeaked like a professional rom-com actress.

Everyone cheered. His whole family sat there completely stunned. An eager waiter rushed to them with complimentary champagne. Snoke was nowhere in sight. The deal was safe. The ring slid on Rey’s finger like it was meant to be. Her eyes promised murder. She was also incredibly gorgeous like that and he had nothing to lose anyway, so Kylo decided ‘fuck it’ and kissed her soundly. Rey whimpered into his mouth and bit his lip in retaliation. He growled. Fuck, it was a bad time for an awkward boner.

It was Han’s wolf-whistle that made the two break apart. Rey hid her face in Kylo’s neck in embarrassment, the picture of a shy bride.

“I’ll kill you,” she whispered a promise into his ear.

This woman. He buried his face into her hair.

“I know. Love you, too, sweetheart.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Space babies find a common ground. Who would have thought?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fighting life disasters with fluff? Yes, that we do.
> 
> Many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley!

Rey’s face muscles looked like they were cramping from smiling. His definitely were. After all, they’d just gotten engaged. People _expected_ them to smile.

If the situation weren’t so dire, Kylo would have gotten a kick out of Han’s stunned expression, Luke’s utter shock a close second best, but no, he had to keep up the performance, all the while coming up with a plan for how to survive Rey’s wrath. The fire in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.

The dinner was probably the most ridiculous celebration the Organa-Solo-Skywalker family had ever endured, with his mother and fiancée after his blood and the rest being completely left out of the loop. No wonder he practically ran to his car afterwards, Rey hot on his heels.

“What the fuck was that, Kylo?” she hissed through clenched teeth, her fingers digging painfully into his elbow. He couldn’t help but swoon over how beautiful she was when pissed. That green in her eyes became even more prominent and… _Bad train of thought, very bad train of thought._

“What?” Kylo asked as innocently as he could muster. If looks could kill, Rey would have been a widow prematurely.

“Don’t play stupid.”

“Sweetheart, I…”

“Kids, wait up,” Leia’s commanding voice stopped them short before they could get into the car. The woman marched after them with the determination of the iceberg that downed the Titanic. It couldn’t mean anything good.

“Princess?” Han called after his wife with a confused frown.

“Benny will drive me home,” she responded sweetly. “I want to chat with my beautiful future daughter-in-law.” Leia barely waited before the car doors closed, then rounded on her son. “What the actual fuck, Benjamin?”

“Mom,” he whined helplessly. As if one pissed woman wasn’t enough.

“How could you do such a thing?!” Leia fumed, staring daggers at him.

Kylo groaned. Why couldn’t they cut him some slack?

“I panicked, OK?!”

“You fucking proposed!” his ‘fiancée’ cried out angrily.

“Look, I’m sorry…”

“You’re sorry?!”

“Benjamin, what were you thinking?!”

How was this fair? First Leia accused him of not thinking about the First Order, now he was apparently thinking too much?

“Mom,” again his voice came out whinier than intended, “I have the deal with Beskar coming up…”

“And you thought a public engagement was a good idea?” Leia asked incredulously. “This is not the way!”

“For god’s sake, Mom, I didn’t want Snoke to make a scene!” Kylo finally snapped. Leia scoffed.

“What are you, five? You could have gone outside for fresh air, spilled champagne on your pants, faked a heart attack, if it came to that. But no, you had to drag Rey into it with you!” She glared at her son disapprovingly.

Kylo had to admit that his mother somewhat had a point. He could have handled the situation better, it’s just that Snoke’s proximity made him irrational. Fuck, he’d screwed up. Again.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled quietly.

“Doesn’t cut it,” Rey shot back.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Leia said soothingly, still eyeing her son with disapproval. “I’ll keep an eye on him from now on. Clearly, the boy can’t be trusted.”

“Hey!” Kylo protested weakly.

Rey, on the other hand, looked relieved. “Thank you _so much_.”

Leia gently patted her shoulder. “You’re welcome. And you,” she glared at her son again, “you’re going to pay for an engagement party.”

“What?” Rey and Kylo cried out in shock at the same time.

“If you want to do something, do it properly,” Leia mused with a steely gleam to her eyes. “Beskar wants a family man, Beskar gets a family man.”

“Leia…” Rey gasped in horror.

The other woman smiled at her reassuringly.

“We’ll fix this mess, dear.”

Kylo gulped.

He didn’t realize how badly he fucked up until they got home and Rey slammed the door of her room shut. Usually they chatted, had a meal together, watched some silly series her friends recommended, but not tonight, no. Tonight Rey was a pissed off fire-breathing dragon. How was he going to fix this without getting himself killed?

Food, Kylo decided. Food was the answer. Luckily for him, his fridge was now stocked with fancy ice-creams, a perfect offering to lure his little scavenger back into tolerating him. He already missed her.

One dish of cookie dough ice-cream with extra chocolate sauce later, Kylo crept to Rey’s door, ready to beg for her forgiveness. She was talking on the phone, loudly.

“No, I’m not OK, what do you think?” She paused, listening to the person on the other side. “No, Finn, I can’t break it off. Yes, I tried.”

Kylo sucked in a breath. Rey wanted to leave him? To move out? No, he didn’t want that.

“No, Finn, you can’t rip him a new one, I already did,” Rey continued loudly. “No, I don’t need to hide a body.” She paused for a second. “ _Yet_. You’ll be the first I call. Promise.” The fondness in her voice was like they were talking about puppies. “Thanks, you too.” For a second Rey was quiet, then her phone started ringing again. “Yes, Rose.”

Kylo quietly slipped away. Better not to prod the pissed off dragon. The ice-cream could wait.

This whole engagement party was the worst punishment Leia could have come up with, if Rey said so herself. Sure, Kylo would whine like a baby, but so would she. A fancy-ass party with political big-wigs didn’t sound the least bit appealing. Maybe she could talk her ‘future mother-in-law’ out of it? Good thing all three of them had scheduled a lunch together to sort the matter out.

As soon as her classes ended, Rey rushed to Leia’s office, ready to use all her aggressive negotiation skills. Kaydel greeted her with a smile and a batch of fresh gossip before escorting her to her boss’s office.

“Hi, Leia,” Rey smiled, “is Kylo already here?”

The other woman adjusted her work glasses, beaming at the sight of her. “No, dear, you know how busy that boy is,” she said disapprovingly. “How are you?”

“Fine. Still angry,” Rey admitted, “but fine.”

“How is school?” Leia asked, continuing to type something on her computer.

“Good.”

The older woman smiled briefly, then glared at her screen.

“Damn it.”

“What’s wrong?” Rey asked with concern. Was this a bad time?

“These dumb programs,” Leia muttered darkly, the indignation palpable in her voice. “Imagine that, they install me a million databases that don’t work properly, forbid me from ever using the same password, because apparently my Benny’s birthday is too easy to hack, and then wonder why nothing is working properly,” she huffed in annoyance. “Bless Kaydel for her existence, she fixes this stuff for me and makes sure I don’t go bonkers.”

“Do you need any help?” Rey asked tentatively.

Leia shook her head.

“No, I’ll get Kay to do it. You OK to wait here for fifteen minutes? Twenty tops. Benny will arrive soon.”

Rey nodded. “Sure.”

The minutes crawled on. She started feeling antsy. Leia’s computer gleamed temptingly from the table, the screen unlocked. Rey’s mind ran in circles. What sort of databases would a politician have? Any type, right? They could access anything. Or anyone. Even personal files. Even closed foster records. They could, right? She could just take a peek. Just for a second. No one would know.

Rey dashed to the computer, before she could give it a second thought. Now, where should she log in? All she could see were Leia’s work files, nothing that would interest her. Rey considered a few unfamiliar icons. Which one should she try first? This one. She clicked. The door suddenly opened and Kylo stuck in his head.

“Mom?”

Rey paled.

To say that Leia’s engagement party idea was horrendous was to say nothing. Kylo went back and forth over how he was going to talk his mother out of it. Because no way in hell he’d go through _that_ with a ‘fiancée’ who wanted to kill him. If it was the real deal, then… _Wait, what?_ Why was he thinking about Rey like that? Clearly, he was losing it.

Weirdly, Kaydel didn’t greet him from her desk. Was he that late? Looked like the ladies already started planning his premature demise or something. That would be quite like them.

Kylo yanked the door of his mother’s office open and froze. Rey, his Rey, was sitting in Leia’s chair, on her computer, looking at him with a mix of startled and guilty. What the fuck was going on?

“What do you think you’re doing?!” It came out angrier than intended. The image of Rey talking to Snoke suddenly flashed before his eyes. Had she been working for him all along? Was she _a spy_? The thought hurt. How could she?

Rey looked at him, pale and scared. “This is not what you think it is.”

Even now, this angry, all he wanted was to soothe her. Kylo had to clench his fists to stop himself from doing something that stupid. “So you’re _not_ spying on my mom?” he taunted. “Is that why you agreed to date me?”

“No!” Now Rey stood up angrily as well.

Fuck, even now she was gorgeous. Even like this.

“Because it looks like that. What were you trying to find?” Kylo demanded. “Her agenda? Her contacts? What?”

“I said no,” she enunciated coldly, glaring back at him.

He couldn’t stop himself from grabbing her shoulders.

“Tell me!”

“Myself!” Rey spat back. “I was looking for myself.” Suddenly her lower lip started to tremble and her eyes filled with tears.

And just like that Kylo felt like the biggest asshole in the universe.

“I… I don’t understand.”

She sniffed. “Your mother has access to all sorts of information. I just wanted to find my parents.”

Either his brain wasn’t working properly or he heard her wrong.

“But you’re an orphan,” he stammered, confused. Hux told him that much. She was fostered by some brute, she had no family to speak off. How? Why?

“No!” Rey cried out, the anger coming back. “I know they are looking for me! They promised to come back.” Tears streamed down her face now. “They just can’t find me because Plutt took me away from Jakku. I thought… if they saw my photo, in the magazine, with you, they would recognize me and.…”

Kylo’s heart broke for her.The poor girl _was_ an orphan. She just refused to believe it.

“Rey, sweetheart, you know that they left you,” he said gently as she shook her head.

“No, you’re wrong,” Rey hiccupped. “They would never. They _will_ find me and we will be a family again.”

How could someone as smart and capable as Rey believe that? Her parents had had _years_ to find her and never bothered. Kylo had enough. Despite her weak protest, he enveloped her in a hug. She snuggled into his chest, her shoulders shaking from sobs.

“Oh, Rey. There are people who love you and care for you, right here. No one who truly loves you would ever leave.”

She only clutched his shirt tighter in response.

That’s when Leia finally returned.

“Sorry, I’m…” She stopped dead in her tracks, taking in her son and the way he held his sobbing ‘girlfriend.’

“Give us a second,” Kylo whispered over Rey’s head.

His mother nodded and quietly closed the door.

“Do you want me to find them?” he asked his poor little desert cat.

Rey looked up at him with hope shining through her teary eyes. “Can you?”

“Yes.” Kylo could, and would, do anything for her.

“Please.”

Rey didn’t know what Kylo and Leia whispered about while she tried to make herself at least a bit presentable, but afterward the older woman hugged her with true maternal affection. Rey almost burst into tears all over again.

The engagement party discussion was put aside for the time being. Kylo escorted her home with utmost care, treating her like she was made of glass. Maybe he felt guilty for his misplaced accusations, maybe he felt sympathetic, either way Rey was grateful. What hurt the most was that Kylo thought her family wasn’t coming back, but he was right about other people caring for her. _He_ cared. She knew it.

Whom Kylo hired to track her family down, she didn’t know either, but a week later he got a late call, went out and came back with a big folder he gently placed in her lap. No words were exchanged. None were needed.

With bated breath Rey opened the papers and then her world rearranged itself.

She realized that she’d completely zoned out only when Kylo took her hand.

“Rey, baby, talk to me,” he pleaded, the worry clearly written on his face.

“You were right,” she smiled sadly, stubbornly refusing to cry. “They were drunks who just left me. They had never planned to come back. My parents have been dead for ten years. Drunk driving.”

His eyes were full of sympathy. “I’m so sorry.”

“They are buried here. In Coruscant.” Rey shook her head incredulously. “So far from Jakku.” Their daughter had never been a part of their plan. They just left her with Plutt and went on with their life. While she waited. And waited. And waited.

“I’m sorry,” Kylo repeated softly, his other hand finding hers.

Rey sniffed.

“I just… I was so stupid.”

“No,” he protested, “you had hope.”

What good had hope given her? Hope had kept her stuck, waiting for someone who wasn’t going to come back. Not anymore.

“I… I need to see them.”

Kylo’s brows furrowed. “Rey, sweetheart.”

She took a deep breath. It was time. “I need closure.”

He nodded in understanding. “OK.”

On a crisp early Saturday morning Rey walked into the city cemetery, clutching a bouquet of white lilies. She refused Kylo’s offer to walk with her; it was something she had to do on her own, Rey explained, as he anxiously watched her go from behind the wheel of his fancy car.

Her parents’ grave was plain and empty, without a gravestone or flowers. Just a cracked nameplate. No one came there. No one missed them. No one, but her. The gravel crunched under her polished shoes as she lowered the flowers down. At last, the family reunited.

“Hi, Mom and Dad.” She swallowed hard. “It’s me, Rey, your daughter. You probably don’t remember me, but that’s OK. I missed you.” She smiled sadly. A lone tear slid down her cheek. “You probably didn’t miss me.”

No one was there to deny it. Not that Rey expected them to.

“You know, I’ve always thought you’d one day recognize me on the street,” she stumbled over the words, “take me back home, that you’d be proud of me. I _am_ proud of myself.” It was good to say it, to acknowledge that she had done all of this for herself, too. “I worked hard to become who I am today. No thanks to you, I guess.” Rey said wryly. “I’m a big girl now. I have a job and a degree soon, too. A whole life, really. Friends. I’m happy. But you’re not here to see it.”

She paused to wipe her cheek.

“That’s OK. I’d rather have people who truly care about me around. My friend Finn. Rose. Poe. Leia. Bazine and Kaydel. Even Hux. And…” she turned to glance at the man who was patiently waiting for her just a few yards away, “and Kylo. He’s someone special,” Rey confessed for the first time aloud. “Not that you care. _They_ are my family, my true family, not you. You hurt me a lot, but I forgive you.” She swallowed hard, emotions made it hard to speak.

“I thought you’d want to know, because this is the last time we see each other. Yes, Mom and Dad, I don’t need you anymore,” Rey said clearly. “I’ll turn around and go back to my happy life and to the man who anxiously waits for me right there. Yes, that one.” She wiped her cheeks again, shaking her head.

“I’m fine, really.” She paused, looking at the grave with renewed fire. “But just so you know, one day I’ll have kids, my own kids and they will be the chubbiest, happiest little gremlins and I never, _ever_ will leave them. _Never_. And you’ll never get to see that.” She vowed with all her might. The cemetery was silent. No sign, no otherworldly presence, just her and flowers and the wind.

“Right. That’s all I wanted to say. It was nice to see you, Mom and Dad. Goodbye.”

The last tear slid down her cheek. Rey never looked back.

Kylo was on her the second she showed up with red-rimmed eyes and a tentative smile.

“You OK?”

Rey nodded, smiling shyly. “Yes, I am.” Surprisingly, it was the truth. After years of waiting she was free.

Kylo inspected her with scientific precision.

“Food?”

“Food.”

The place he chose wasn’t fancy or grand, just a little diner with delicious unhealthy comfort food. Just what she needed.

“How are you holding up?” he asked gently, worry clear in his voice.

“Honestly? I’m fine,” Rey promised with a small smile. “It was what I needed.”

They munched on their food in silence for a while.

“My parents were a nice fairytale I hid behind for too long,” she confessed suddenly, making him lift his head in surprise. “Never let people get too close. Why would I if I had my real family to come for me?”

Kylo’s eyes filled with sympathy. “Sweetheart.”

Rey shook her head. “Silly, I know. Not anymore. I won’t let myself be afraid.”

“You’re very brave,” he said with clear admiration.

She looked at him, surprised.

“You think so?”

“You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.” Kylo said it with such candor that her heart skipped a beat. “So much stronger than you know.”

“I… you mean it?” Rey breathed out, unable to look away from his face.

“Yes, every word. You turned my world upside down and I can’t thank you enough. I…” At a loss for words, he took her hand and brought her palm to his lips.

She felt like she was melting on the spot.

“Kylo, I… I wish…”

“Anything,” he promised fervently.

The words just escaped her mouth. “I wish it were real. You, this.”

Kylo never took his gaze off her. “It is. If you want.”

He was giving her a way out, she knew. Rey just didn’t need it.

“I do. Want you,” she said plainly, emboldened by the look of awe on his face. “Does this mean we’re dating?”

“Yes,” he hastily confirmed, making her giggle. “Yes, we are.”

Good thing that early Saturday mornings weren’t the busiest time in the diner. No one was offended by the sight of a young couple grinning like fools and kissing over their half-eaten breakfasts.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our space babies enjoy their romance while the plot thickens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've almost forgot to post today I'm such a scatterbrain. 🤦♀️ Sorry about that. 
> 
> Many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley!

“What?!” Finn screeched in shock, his eyes as wide as saucers. “No, seriously, _what_?!”

Rey sighed in exasperation. Not that she didn’t expect her friend to react like this, but did he have to be such a Dad? Even worse, a Grandpa. As if Kylo was asking his teenage daughter to prom, really.

“We are dating,” she repeated patiently. “For real.”

Finn gaped at her for at least thirty seconds, his expression stupefied.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he asked cautiously.

She groaned. “No, Mom.”

“Rey, Peanut,” her friend started gently, “this comes from a place of deepest love, but _are you mental?_ ”

“Finn!”

“This man-”

“Has been nothing but kind and respectful to me.” First meeting notwithstanding. She would never forget how much Kylo had done for her. How much he’s still doing. How much he cared.

“Tell it to that mark on your neck,” Finn pinched his lips disapprovingly.

Rey flushed, her hand involuntarily going to cover the skin. Crap, she didn’t mean for him to see that. Her very protective friend sure had a hard time accepting the fact that she now had a relationship, worse, a very _physical_ relationship. How things had changed.

Knowing Finn, he would probably expect her and Kylo to limit themselves to handholding and forehead kisses. Well, they had plenty of that, but Rey wanted more. For the first time in her life she wanted more and her boyfriend was willing to oblige her however she wanted. No surprise they got a bit side-tracked.

“That may have been due to my initiative,” Rey mumbled shyly, looking somewhere over Finn’s left ear in embarrassment, her cheeks tomato red. It still astounded her how willing Kylo was to let her take charge and set the pace. He gently stripped away her insecurities, promising that it didn’t matter how much more experienced or elegant his previous paramours were, the only one he wanted and needed was her. She had called the shots in their relationship, as brief as it was, and the power was quite heady.

“Your…” Finn paled. “I don’t need to know that,” he announced promptly. “Who are you and what did you do to my sweet innocent Rey?!”

She couldn’t help herself and burst out laughing. Oh how the turntables! Two years ago things were exactly reversed. Speaking of that....

“Where is Poe anyway?”

“Coming,” her friend grumbled reluctantly. “He is a bad influence on you, that one. He indulges this…”

“Rose approves as well,” Rey quipped smugly.

“Then she’s a bad influence, too.”

“Leia approves.”

“She’s biased,” Finn retorted confidently.

Rey went in for the kill.

“ _Hux_ approves.”

“That pasty ginger? The one that flipped when you got ‘engaged’?” Her friend paused to eye her suspiciously. “You’re not _actually_ engaged, are you?”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Of course not. We’re not there yet.”

Her friend looked relieved. “Good.”

“Finn!”

“I don’t like it,” he protested. “I’m worried for you. And I won’t let you marry Ren until he begs for your hand on his knees. You’re too good for him anyway.”

“Finn!” Rey gasped half in shock, half in amusement.

“You can do better,” he insisted. “That girl, Rose, is cute, right?”

She snorted. “Yes, dufus, but I’m not into her.”

“Too bad.”

“You said she’s a bad influence,” Rey pointed out.

“Right. An enabler,” he grumbled, then looked at her softly. “I just don’t want you to get your heart broken, Peanut.”

Rey squeezed his hand gratefully, her heart full with gratitude and love. “I won’t. Promise.”

“So, you’re going to this office party, right?” Rose asked excitedly, looking like a bloodhound on a trail.

Rey nodded, trying not to give into her gentle interrogation. “Yep.”

“With Kylo.”

“Yep.”

“As a couple.”

“Yep,” Rey continued her teasing with the straightest face possible.

“As a real one,” Rose stated. “And don’t you dare say yep again, I’ll bite you.”

“Can’t you bite your sandwich?” the girl laughed as her friend whined loudly.

“I want _tea_ ,” Rose complained. “Spill.”

“Green with jasmine is pretty good,” Rey answered nonchalantly.

“Don’t do this to me! Let me live vicariously through you!”

“Don’t you have your own love life?”

“No!” Rose whined petulantly.

Rey smirked. Two could play this game.

“How about a certain ginger?”

“I wish,” the girl sighed helplessly, her eyes acquiring a dreamy glint. “You know that he’s not interested in me.”

Rey blinked, stunned. Hux not interested in the woman who made him blush and stammer? Not bloody likely. “Um, Rose…”

“Anyway, what I want to tell you is,” her friend took a deep breath, “ _I told you so_ ,” she delivered with shit-eating grin.

Rey laughed. Her friend was right through and through. “You did.” And hopefully some time in the near future she would be able to say those words back.

“Does he make you happy?” Rose asked her softly, less a bloodhound and more a hopeless romantic now.

Rey couldn’t hold her smile back. “You have no idea.”

Her friend’s eyes glinted wickedly. “Oh, is he _that_ good in bed?”

“Rose!”

Kylo eyed the crowded room with satisfaction. It was full of happy people, dancing, drinking, socializing. Not just any people, his employees. Now that Beskar signed the deal it was decided that an office party was long overdue. It was the company’s way to thank everyone for the difficult and stressful work they had done during the previous months. Everyone there had made an effort to make it happen and deserved a break. And he deserved to show off his magnificent, irresistible girlfriend who looked so good he would probably be salivating for hours here.

“You look gorgeous,” he crooned into her ear, making her shiver with pleasure. He basked in the warm smile she gave him. What a lucky bastard he was to snatch her up.

“Thank Bazine,” Rey answered cheekily, showing off her pretty metallic curve-hugging dress.

Kylo almost purred with delight until the infernal woman appeared beside them, clearly hell-bent on spoiling his evening.

“I was summoned,” she smiled wickedly, eyeing the two of them like a cat with a plate of cream. Wasn’t that disturbing?

“Netal, get lost,” he warned.

Bazine just scoffed.

“Not gonna happen. Last time I left you unsupervised you got engaged. Not that I mind,” she added with a smirk, “but Hux doesn’t deserve a heart attack. His eye froze mid-twitch, I swear.”

“Dramatize much?” Kylo supplied.

“She doesn’t, no.” Hux’s face looked particularly stern.

Deep down Kylo felt a twinge of guilt for giving the poor man so much grief lately, then again, the ginger could lighten up at least occasionally. No need to be so uptight, even running a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

“I already apologized.”

“Apologies don’t cover therapy bills,” Hux snarked in typical Hux fashion.

Kylo couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Goodness, must you always be so pretentious?”

Rey instantly slapped his arm. “ _Behave_.”

“I knew I liked you for a reason,” the insufferable ginger commented with smug satisfaction as Kylo pouted at his belligerent girlfriend.

“You do,” she beamed, looking somewhere behind his back. “Hi, Rose.”

The woman in question, clad in a tight-fitting red dress, waved shyly.

Hux’s complexion instantly became one to match her garment.

“Hi,” Rose smiled brightly. “You look amazing.”

“So do you,” Rey responded. “You brought a date?”

Rose nodded, making the ginger tense. “Yes, Paige, my sister.” Hux’s shoulder relaxed that instant. “She’s at the bar,” Rose continued, nodding toward where Paige was chatting with Phasma. The music changed and she closed her eyes dreamily. “Oh, I love this song.”

“I’m sure Armitage would be happy to dance with you,” Rey said nonchalantly.

“I what?” the ginger sputtered, then remembered himself. “I would, yes, please.” He offered his hand to Rose.

The girl took it gladly, guiding him toward the dance floor.

Bazine eyed Rey with newfound appreciation.

“That was beautiful.”

“Thanks, I’m learning from the best,” the girl responded cheekily.

“I see.” Baz glanced between the two of them. “Why are you both still here? Off you go. Shoo,” she sent them to the dance floor. “Young love.”

“She legitimately scares me sometimes,” Kylo whispered into Rey’s ear.

His girlfriend snorted. “Pff, she deserves a raise.”

“She does,” he agreed.

Having a properly paying job equated to more free time, as Rey had discovered to her enjoyment, which provided her many perks like the ability to study in a nice café in peace and in broad daylight, a pleasure previously unknown. That is, before an unwanted shadow fell over her book. She lifted her head and was met with the woman she had hoped to never see.

“Hello, Rey,” Carise greeted her casually, like they were old acquaintances. Which they in a way were, if by proxy.

“What are you doing here?” the girl demanded sharply. She knew how to recognize trouble and this one was.

“I take it you know who I am,” Carise smiled to herself, taking a seat across from her.

Rey snapped her book shut. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Why?” The woman looked genuinely puzzled. “Are you that insecure?”

“I don’t want to talk with a person who broke Kylo’s heart.” Rey’s tone could freeze Jakku.

“As if he has one,” the woman snorted, her eyes rolling in amusement.

Rey eyed her beautiful face speculatively. “Do you like that nose job or do you want another one?” she inquired.

“Feral,” her opponent mused. “I like that. _He_ likes that. Nothing’s changed.”

“ _A lot_ has changed,” the girl gritted. Would the owner be very upset if she followed up on her promise? On the one hand, she didn’t want to run away from the battle, on the other, breaking someone’s nose wasn’t on her agenda either.

“You think?” Carise asked with genuine interest. “Men, my dear, are all simpletons. They never change.”

“Says who?”

“Says me,” the woman answered confidently. “I know Kylo’s tastes, his desires, his fears. I know what he wants,” she looked Rey straight in the eye, “power, money, _me_. Why do you think you look just like me?”

Rey froze. It was hardly deniable. Her own tan skin, brown hair, and hazel eyes looked like a pale, diluted reflection of Carise’s deep golden complexion, gorgeous chestnut mane, and bright green eyes. She looked like a CEO’s fiancée; Rey looked like a broke student pretending to be a CEO’s fiancée.

No, that was wrong. Phasma said not to believe a word from this woman’s mouth. Kylo said Rey was the one he wanted to be with, she just had to believe him. She had to believe _in_ him.

“That’s…”

“Oh, yes, you’re _different_ ,” Carise rolled her eyes. “Same old, same old. Innocent, pure, the thrill of the chase. Bo-ring.”

“You think you know me?” Rey snapped. Who did she think she was? “No one does.”

“Perhaps. But I can tell that he won’t make you happy.”

How dare she?

“You’re not the one to judge.”

“Oh, please,” the woman rolled her eyes. “You need a nice boy who will hold your hand and bring you coffee, not the force of nature that is Kylo.”

“I can handle him just fine,” Rey gritted, considering how bad it would look if she smacked the vapid harpy upside her stupid head.

“You do?” Carise asked pitifully. “You can handle his mood changes? His rage? Broken furniture? Days of silence?”

Rey glared at her. The man she described was not like her boyfriend, not at all. “He’s not like that anymore.”

“You don’t know what he’s capable of,” the woman said with conviction. “What drives him mad, what pushes him over the edge. His raw volatility. You think I broke his heart?” she asked mockingly. “He doesn’t have one. Like me. We are two apples from the same tree. I complete him.”

Rey stared and stared. The woman completely lacked any affection or sympathy. No wonder Kylo broke up with someone so cold, emotionally numb, and egotistic, someone who thought about him that way. What a wretched existence she must have with such a worldview.

“I pity you,” Rey said with a sincerity she didn’t expect from herself.

“I don’t need your pity,” Carise angrily retorted.

The girl caught her eyes. “Just because you’re incapable of love doesn’t make Kylo unlovable,” she said solemnly, grabbing her things and leaving the woman slack-jawed behind.

“You’re a hard man to find, my boy.”

Kylo flinched at the sound of the voice he had hoped to never hear again. How had Snoke found him? He was only trying to get his lunch in peace. Did the man stalk him?

“Can’t say the same about you,” he responded coldly.

“No greetings for your mentor?”

“What do you want?” Kylo demanded, abandoning all politeness. “You lost.”

“Ah, the Mandalor deal,” Snoke drawled. “Amazing how after so many years you are still so naïve. I _never_ lose.”

A chill ran down Kylo’s spine against his better judgement. “That’s why you’re talking to me right now instead of leading the First Order?” the younger man shot back.

His former mentor smiled slowly in a rather unsettling way.

“About that. I think it’s time for me to return to my rightful position.”

“Ha, right.”

“Don’t mock, child,” Snoke warned. “I’ve waited long enough for the right time. You have too much to lose,” he said with satisfaction.

“Why would I lose?” Kylo shrugged with fake nonchalance. “I have everything I need.”

“What if I tell you I own the patents to the technology your precious engines use?” the old man asked smugly.

Kylo froze. “That’s impossible.”

“You think? My lawyers disagree,” Snoke continued, passing him a folder of documents with satisfaction. “Next month the contract between me and the First Order ends and then it’s either a long and public court battle, or you give me back the CEO title.”

“You’re bluffing,” the younger man protested. “My legal team-”

“ _My_ legal team,” Snoke corrected. “Canady is an old friend, if you had already forgotten.”

Kylo couldn’t believe his ears. His employee wouldn’t dare do such a thing. “He wouldn’t…”

“He would, for the right price. _Everyone_ has a price,” Snoke said confidently. “You value your company too much to ruin it. Imagine your precious Silencers unreleased, the shares tanked, the employees laid off.” There was no doubt he would do exactly that to get what he wanted.

“It’s not going to happen.”

“I don’t give empty threats, my boy. Read the documents. Talk to your lawyers. You have to decide before the Board Meeting: either leave on your own or get removed.”

“Even if, and it’s a big if, you’re telling the truth, I have the majority of shares,” Kylo stood his ground.

“Not the absolute majority,” Snoke responded, eerily repeating what Leia said months ago. “You have still so much to learn,” the man taunted him one last time before leaving Kylo alone with his lunch and heavy heart.

Rey perked, hearing the door open. Having her boyfriend to sooth her after a tough day was exactly what she needed. “Hey, you’re early. How was your day?”

“Fine,” Kylo muttered through clenched teeth. His tight-locked jaw suggested otherwise.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes!” he snapped. Rey flinched. Regret was immediately visible on his face. “Sorry, little one, I just have a headache.”

She nodded. “I’ll go find some meds.”

As she rummaged through the first aid kit an unwanted thought flew through her brain: was Carise right about him after all?


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snoke attacks and our space babies deal with consequences in their own ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many, many, many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley who made me do my homework. You have no idea how much better this chapter is now, all thanks to her.
> 
> On a totally unrelated note, I need your assistance. I have a grandmother who got a tablet for her birthday and discovered the joy of e-books. The problem - she goes way too fast through them and we don't know what to get her anymore. She has eclectic tastes, romance, melodrama, historical fiction, detectives, comedy, those cheap ironic whodunit paperbacks, you name it. Her only no-nos are fantasy, sci-fi and explicit smut (or so she says). No, I can't send her to AO3, she and the Internet are not acquainted yet. Any suggestions what to offer her will be greatly appreciated!

“Kylo, can we talk please?” Rey asked tentatively, like she was worried he’d snap. 

Right, because he barely did anything else these days. It had been two weeks and he was slowly going bonkers from worry, shutting everyone out, getting more and more irritable, showing off his famous temper. Reverting back to his asshole tendencies was his only way to handle stress.

“Not now,” he responded curtly, avoiding even looking at her. Kylo didn’t need a distraction right now; he had to find a way, any way, to get out of the ironclad contract Snoke had presented. To keep his company afloat. And his girlfriend, his sweet, adorable, _tempting_ girlfriend, was not helping his concentration. Not at all. Why on earth had he thought it would be a good idea to share an apartment?!

“When then?” she asked impatiently, every inch a displeased kitten. 

_No time for thoughts like that._

“I said _not now_ ,” Kylo growled, making her recoil. Shit, he was fucking _great_ at this whole relationship thing, wasn’t he? Poor girl didn’t deserve her first boyfriend to be a dumpster fire like him. How could he both please her and fix the situation with the First Order?

“Did I do something wrong?” Rey asked in a small voice, instantly making him feel guilty. 

She didn’t deserve any of this; she deserved better than a loser who fucked everything up. Rey should be cherished and pampered and be told how amazing she was and he wasn’t the man to do the job, he had no time for that.

“No.”

“It feels like it. Every time we’re together you’re just not there. I don’t understand,” she murmured sadly. 

Crap, this was his fault. They had been so happy and now he was doing this to her. Once an asshole, always an asshole.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

In mere seconds Kylo’s hackles went up. How much had she figured out? No one was supposed to know about Snoke just yet. Any unfortunate rumor and the situation would blow up. And the consequences for the First Order would be.… He’d rather not think about that.

“Maybe you don’t need to understand,” he retorted. Better to have her angry at him than insightful.

Rey blinked, sadness mixing with irritation. “Excuse me? I thought I was your girlfriend.”

“Right, _girlfriend_ , not my shadow,” Kylo let his annoyance color his voice. Anger was an old friend and right now he was on the verge of losing it. “Can you just leave me alone?!”

She flinched. “Is that what you want? I thought.…” In a blink her face turned from hurt into an unreadable cold mask. “ _Fine._ Have it your way.” 

Kylo froze. Rey sounded serious. He knew deep down that he didn’t actually want her to go, he just couldn’t handle everything at once. Maybe it was for the best to take a break, and yet.…

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Away,” Rey snapped and suddenly he realized that she had tears in her eyes. “I can’t do this anymore. You act like I’m not here, like I’m not privy to your life.”

How could it have come to this? Was he going to lose both his company and her? He didn’t know what to say to fix it. 

“Sweetheart, please.”

“You made me feel like I mattered to you and now you make me feel like I don’t,” Rey shook her head sadly. “Do you have anything to say?” 

Kylo was lost. Could he make her understand? Would this brilliant girl even listen? She deserved better. Not a mess who couldn’t even protect his own company. Not a moron who hadn’t kept an eye on his own staff. What if Snoke came after her, too? She would be safer away from him.

“No,” Kylo said instead, like the fool he was. If he could do one good thing for Rey, he would spare her from this mess. 

She nodded.

“Okay. Great.” Rey sniffed, then twisted her engagement ring off her finger. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Even now, even knowing it was the right thing, he couldn’t just let her go. 

“Please.” 

She never turned back.

It was shocking how little time it had taken for everything to fall apart. One day she and Kylo were happy together and the next they just… weren’t. Apparently, Carise had been right through and through. She wasn’t cut out for this. That’s what Rey thought on her way to Finn’s. Never before had she been in a relationship. She had never left first. She had never had her heart broken. And she had no idea how to handle it.

When her friend opened his door with a concerned expression and asked what’s wrong, Rey almost broke down. Almost. There was no need to cause a scene.

“We broke up,” she said calmly. 

Finn’s face filled with sympathy. That was the last straw.

All her life Rey had had a fight or flight response to trouble. You could beat it? Go for it. You can’t? Run or pretend it’s fine. Matters of the heart were completely alien and, being unable to kick anyone’s ass or to outrun her problem, she could only bawl her eyes out for the next few days. Because Plutt was right and no one wanted her. Because Carise was right and she wasn’t good enough for Kylo. Because he was wrong and he let her leave after all. 

A few Niagara Falls later Finn had finally panicked and called for reinforcements.

He, Poe, and Rose, bless them, tried their best, really. But they could do little to help her.

“OK, OK, lovers’ quarrels are totally normal,” Poe insisted with surprising gentleness again and again. “Every couple has bumpy patches, it doesn’t have to mean anything.”

“I gave him the ring back!” Rey sniffed pitifully. She was weak, she had run away first.

Her friends shared a bewildered look.

“So what?” Finn shrugged. “You pulled a Christine on him with a _fake_ engagement ring, and?” 

Rey and Poe blinked at him confusedly. 

He sighed. “The Phantom of the Opera, you heathens. He’ll get over it. And so should you.”

“Just call him, please,” Rose begged. “It’s been _days_.”

Rey eyed her silent phone.

“But… but I left him! Shouldn’t _he_ be the one to call?” Shouldn’t someone come find _her_ for the first time in her life?

“Oh Peanut, that’s a man for you. And you have no idea how to handle heartbreak, do you?” Finn asked sympathetically. “I think there’s some more ice-cream in the fridge.”

Poe nodded. “I’ll check.” 

He had almost made it to the fridge when the doorbell rang. Alas, it wasn’t Mr. Asshole Extraordinaire with an apology bouquet, rather a very frazzled Hux.

“Where is he?” the man demanded frantically. “Is he here?”

“Hello, Hugs,” Poe greeted him pointedly.

“I’ll bloody kill the arsehole,” the ginger promised darkly.

“Hey, your Brit is showing.”

Rey and the others were drawn out by the commotion, peering at the newcomer with confusion.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” Hux demanded.

“My ex-boyfriend, you mean?”

The man pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. “That fucker! First he loses his company, now this.”

Rey blinked, her heartbreak taking a step back to process the information. “Wait, what?!”

“He didn’t tell you?” Hux asked incredulously. “ _Of course_ he didn’t. Snoke threatened to take back the CEO position. Apparently, he can withdraw the patents to our engines and stop production entirely.”

“He what?!” Suddenly everything clicked: Kylo’s temper, his distance, the late hours. So _that’s_ what happened? So she wasn’t just a phase as Carise implied? It wasn’t _her_ fault? It _wasn’t_ her fault! “I’m going to kill him!”

Finn barely had time to catch her before she could rush out. “Rey, no!”

“He’s the reason Kylo was acting this way,” she growled, fight mode finally activated. It was good to focus her ire on someone. To find the shriveled old bastard who made her last weeks hell, who dared to hurt her boyfriend, and to give him a taste of his own medicine. She’d put him six feet under all right. “I’m going to cut the prick in half.”

“Calm down,” Rose ordered sternly. “You’re not helping.” She turned to Hux. “Talk.”

“We’re trying to get the board on our side, to give us an extension to develop the new technology to replace Snoke’s patents. There must be some way to work around it.”

“JEDI or SITH-based?” Rey narrowed her eyes, now all professional. Think now, beat the hell out of the fucker later. 

Finn and Poe shared a look. “A what now?”

“The engines work on LEADER, which is updated VADER-2.0,” Rose said to them like it explained everything. “Before that they used JEDI and SITH.”

“JEDI is too slow for modern cars,” Rey pointed out.

“And SITH too wasteful,” Rose argued. 

Finn frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Kylo tried to find a way to join the two before, but he never finished his research,” Hux interjected. “Thanks to Snoke. And now he’s gone, the arse.”

Rey’s brows drew together in confusion. “What do you mean  _gone_ ?”

The ginger pinched his lips. “He’s not at home, not at work, he doesn’t pick up his phone, no one knows where he is. Leia turned the whole city upside down already. Kylo does this thing when he gets his knickers in a twist. His grandfather left him a cabin in the middle of nowhere, he hides there to clear his mind. And we have no idea how to reach him. After Carise he was gone for a month,” Hux muttered darkly. 

Oh, of course. Her idiot boyfriend and his one dumb brain cell. Next time she’d see him she’d smack some sense into that beautiful stupid head of his. Then maybe kiss it better later.

“We don’t have a month,” Rose frowned.

“Of course not, the board meeting is in two weeks. We need a miracle.”

“You need engineers,” Rey countered.

“He has two,” Poe bragged. “Them, not us,” he pointed at the girls. “They’re the brains, we’re the eye-candy.”

Rose glanced at her friend cautiously. “Rey?”

“Snoke wants a war? He’ll get it,” the girl promised. “We’re going to create something better than LEADER.”

“In two weeks?” Rose gasped. “That’s impossible. We need research facilities, we need personnel. Pryde won’t let us….”

“We don’t need Pryde,” Rey decided, strategizing their next move. With her mind fully engaged now, she already had a plan. “Can you get Kylo’s research for me?” she asked Hux. 

He nodded.

“I’ll try.”

Rey smiled for the first time in days. “Leave the rest to me.”

Kylo stared at the pine trees absently, something he’d been doing for the past few days. Anakin’s cabin helped him see things clearly for the first time in days and it wasn’t a good sight. He fucked up. He’d fucked up like never before. Kylo couldn’t remember the last time he had felt like this much of a failure. Rightfully so – both his company, a cherished legacy, and Rey, the woman he loved, were gone.

He couldn’t blame his dear girl; he was an asshole through and through. She deserved better than to be dragged into this whole mess. The First Order, though, was his responsibility. Kylo knew that innocent people would suffer for Snoke’s ambitions, regardless of what choice he’d make. And that he just couldn’t let happen, not after everything. 

Too bad the board would take Snoke’s side, they didn’t care as long as their investments were protected. Stopping production for an indefinite period wouldn’t thrill them. Unless.…

Unless he played dirty. After all, he was his father’s son. He owed his grandfather’s legacy a try.

Kylo turned on his phone for the first time in days, ignoring numerous frantic messages and missed calls. He only needed one number.

“Uncle Lando? I need help.”

Rey persisted in knocking at the door until it finally gave way. She had even started to suspect that Leia had given her the wrong address, but now her hope returned full force.

“Luke. We need your help.”

The man eyed her suspiciously through the crack. “No.” 

He tried to close the door, but Rey managed to slip her foot through it, effectively blocking him.

“You’re not gonna shut me out. I know that before his death you and Anakin Skywalker attempted to develop an environment friendly technology to replace SITH.” 

Shock was so quickly switched with a blank expression on the man’s face that most people wouldn’t even register it. Too bad she was a woman on a mission. 

“Lies,” Luke responded gruffly, trying to close the door again.

Rey rolled her eyes exasperatedly. “Snoke based VADER and LEADER on it, basically stealing your research. I need you to finish what you’ve started.”

He eyed her distrustfully. “I’m an old man who is of no use to young people like you,” Luke tried. As if that was going to work.

“Kylo needs you,” Rey pressed on. 

The man scoffed. 

“The First Order needs you. You failed your nephew once, I won’t let you do it again.”

Luke eyed her for a long time. “Has anyone told you you’re awfully persistent?”

She grinned in triumph.

“There are several major shareholders aside from me,” Kylo recounted. “Swaying any one could turn the tide.”

“Galen Erso, fifteen percent, is a brilliant mind, but very conservative, reserved, and risk-averse. His daughter Jyn, on the other hand, is quite a rebel and, coincidentally, often represents him in his absence.”

Galen tapped his foot impatiently as the receptionist stalled the checkout process. For somewhere as pricy as Bespin, they sure were slow. 

“What is it this time?” he rolled his eyes.

“Sir, I’m afraid no one can leave the resort for the next two weeks,” the girl finally stammered nervously. “We have an epidemic outbreak.”

Surely, there was a misunderstanding. 

The girl’s manager magically materialized beside her. “Chickenpox. A  _highly_ contagious new strain,” the man responded apologetically.

“Are you kidding me?!” Galen scoffed. Wasn’t that a child disease?

The employees just blinked at him. “Do you have fever? Itching? Rash?”

“I…” Come to think of it, he suddenly felt hot under the collar.

“Let me call the doctor,” the receptionist offered, handing him back his keys.

“Thank you, Mitaka,” Rey said sincerely as the PA delivered anything useful he could find in Kylo’s documents.

“That’s not everything,” the man sighed. “All schematics are kept at the lab’s archives, I can’t access those.”

“Supervised by Pryde, I bet,” Rey muttered darkly. 

Hux cleared his throat.

“I can…” 

“No,” Rose stopped him. “You’re too obvious. I’ll do it.”

“Rose,” Rey gasped. One wrong move and she would be out of a job. Pryde already had an issue with her.

“I know what I’m doing,” the girl smiled confidently.

“Ellian Zahra-Tarkin, ten percent, inherited her share from her step-father and I might have accidentally pissed off her family. Has a nasty gaming habit.”

Ellian angrily downed her champagne. The game was  _not_ going in her favor.

“Another card,” she demanded, scowling. “Another one.”

“Are you sure, Miss?” the Cloud City employee asked her in that infuriatingly polite manner of theirs. 

The woman rolled her eyes. “I just need my luck back. Then I can win everything just like this,” she triumphantly put her cards down. Her opponent, a dark-skinned gentleman in a flamboyant suit, smirked and lowered his own cards. 

“No! You cheaters!”

“No need to be so agitated,” he said cheerfully. “Let’s discuss your payment plan instead.” 

Rose held her breath. Five minutes to slip in. Ten minutes to find the files. Three minutes to download them on the flash drive, five minutes to get out. Just a few more seconds and--

“Miss Tico?” Dr. Pryde’s voice sounded particularly harsh. “Where do you think you think you’re going?”

“Home,” she smiled nervously. Had he followed her to the elevators? Shit, no one was there. What was she going to do?

“What are you doing here so late?” the man demanded suspiciously. 

Rose put on her best “pretty blonde” smile. 

“Just getting my lipstick.”

“Do I look like a fool to you?”

Before she had a chance to answer another voice joined in. “Dr. Pryde? Miss Tico? What’s going on?”

“Miss Phasma,” the man’s lips twisted in displeasure. “Why are _you_ here?”

“Trying to catch up on some paperwork. You?”

“Not letting Miss Tico steal company property,” he said coldly. 

Rose paled. Shit, shit, shit. Mission abort.

“That’s just my lipstick.”

Phasma eyed the two of them slowly. “Serious claim, Dr. Pryde. Miss Tico?” She put her palm up expectantly. 

Rose reluctantly let go of her lipstick-shaped flash drive. The HR opened it up, carefully blocking Pryde’s view. “Bold shade you got there,” she commented with the straightest face possible before handing the flash drive back. “Now off you go.” 

Rose didn’t need to be told twice.

“Excuse me?” Pryde demanded indignantly. 

“Would you like to file a report? Or you want me to search her?” Phasma shot back. 

The man gaped. 

“That’s what I thought,” she announced before joining Rose in the elevator.

“Why did you help me?” the girl whispered surreptitiously.

“Not everyone wants Snoke back,” the HR responded before smirking. “And say hi to Paige from me, OK?”

“You’re amazing!” Rey praised her friend, a new world’s best smuggler, in her opinion. 

“She’s screwing my sister!” Rose complained.

Luke peered at the screen over Rey’s shoulder. “I think we have all the data now.”

“My sweet innocent Paige! And our HR!”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Rey scoffed. So what’s the big deal? Paige was a consenting adult, after all.

“Think how awkward family dinner would be,” Rose almost sobbed. 

Rey thought about the Skywalker family dynamics for a moment.

“Hush. Let’s save the company first.”

“Natasi Daala, ten percent, used to be pretty close with Old Tarkin. Gets nostalgic for the Empire’s former glory. A big proponent of pursuing Mandalorian markets.”

Natasi smiled as her husband kissed her temple. “Your newspapers, dear.”

All she needed for the perfect morning: coffee, a croissant, and her papers. She lazily scanned the pages until a title caught her eye.  _“Let the past die: how new leadership of the First Order was the key to Beskar Steel.”_ Natasi started reading.

Rey poured over the schematics for the umpteenth time. Kylo was freaking brilliant, hands down. He was on the cusp of something there. It just needed a little tweak, just like this, and… She ran her calculations again.

“I think it works,” she proclaimed, before scrutinizing her research again. “No, wishful thinking.”

Rose peered at the papers. “No, Rey, it  _works_ ,” she gasped. “Luke?”

The old man cursed. “We did it! You did it, kid.” 

Rey couldn’t believe her ears. They might have just singlehandedly saved the First Order. “We still need a prototype.”

“And a car to install it in,” Rose supplied. “I don’t think we can get a Silencer.”

Luke hummed pensively. ““We have something better.”

“Brendol Hux, five percent, a piece of work, but genuinely cares for the bottom line.”

Brendol adjusted his phone angrily. “No,  _you_ listen,  _Former First Order CEO James Snoke, who had to resign due to a mental breakdown._

“You know better than to believe those cheap magazines,” the man retorted coldly.

“Sure, but what about the rest of the world? Right now you’re _a past affiliation_ , next month you’re going to return to the CEO position. What do you think is going to happen then?”

“You know as well as I do that Ren is incapable of handling the company in the long run,” Snoke reminded him testily.

“I don’t know about that. Before you showed up again, he seemed to manage just fine.” Brendol’s stocks certainly weren’t complaining.

“You know what’s better for your investment.”

“I do.” He might want to consult his financial advisors again, all things considered.

Rey suppressed a gasp. “Han, that’s.…”

“My Falcon,” he smiled wryly, handing her the keys. “Take it.”

“But what if… we ruin it?” she whispered quietly.

Han sighed. “Kid, I haven’t always been the best father to Ben and I can’t do much to fix it now. But this,” he nodded toward his beloved vehicle, “this I can do. He’s my son and the Falcon is just a car.”

Rey’s eyes stung. If only he knew what he just did. “Thank you.”

“Besides,” the man smirked, “if you make it work, I can still beat his Silencer.”

“Han!”

“Ahsoka Tano, four percent, a life-long associate of Anakin Skywalker. They had a falling out after he started working for Palpatine, but they managed to patch things up. Oh, and she really hates Snoke.”

Ahsoka took a sip of her favorite whiskey and sighed blissfully. Just a perfect evening to unwind.

“What’s a woman like you doing in a place like this?”

She lazily eyed the nuisance. “Quit the bullshit, Lando, what do you want?”

“What would you say about screwing the old Snake over?” the man asked with a wicked smirk. Ahsoka grinned.

“Count me in.”

Rey took a deep calming breath as the whole room fussed over her. She could do it, she had to. The Board meeting was minutes away and everyone counted on her. She wasn’t going to leave Kylo alone to go down with a sinking ship. Even though he shut her out, even though he hadn’t talked to anyone since his return, Rey still loved him and wanted to help. Yes, her boyfriend was a moron, but they would sort it out later. For now they had a company to save.

Bazine and Kaydel adjusted her tailored light gray dress, her perfectly professional hair and make-up, Rose for the umpteenth time checked the presentation Mitaka had whipped up at the last moment, Luke, ever the introvert, fidgeted nervously, and Leia kept everyone’s panic under control like a war general. 

“Amilyn ran the tests overnight, the carbon level is definitely matching LEADER’s,” she reassured the girls yet again.

“The presentation is ready,” Rose promised.

Bazine grinned widely. “You look delicious.”

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Rey whispered anxiously. It was one thing to build something in the privacy of Luke’s lab and another to deliver a presentation in front of the board without informing Kylo beforehand. What if anything went wrong?

“You can,” Kay said with conviction. “Go kick some asses.”

“One last thing.” Leia slipped the engagement ring back on Rey’s finger. 

The girl’s eyes widened.

“That’s…”

“It’s yours,” the woman promised with a gentle smile. “As it should be. Now go get ‘em.” She nodded toward Mitaka who reappeared just on cue.

“And knock Kylo’s socks off!” Bazine called after her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey delivers a presentation and Kylo gets a bit single-minded. Is Snoke in for a surprise? You bet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter! I'm so happy I did this. This story lived rent-free in my head for over two years, I almost started writing it, but then Promises won me over... And maybe it ended up being not exactly how I imagined it back then, but it's finally written and out of my head.🥳 
> 
> P.S. Just in case you don't realize it, the engines talk is this chapter is shamelessly pilfered from articles I found on Google. I know next to nothing about cars. I don't even have a driving license. Sorry to disappoint.
> 
> Many-many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley! This fic would be so much worse without your insights.

Kylo observed the Board members taking their places with quiet detachment. He had done what was in his power, now all that was left was to hope for the best. All Lando’s finagling had allowed him to even the odds. The rest was up to pure luck.

At his right, Hux exchanged whispers with Mitaka, no doubt fixing some last minute issues. It was a true wonder his COO hadn’t bit his head off after the disappearing stunt Kylo pulled; he would deserve that for adding to the man’s stress. Then again, Hux would probably decapitate him anyway when Snoke won. _If_ Snoke won.

“Shall we begin already?”

Fuck, how he hated his former mentor with his smug voice and condescending smile. The bastard! Years ago Kylo would have broken something on the spot. He still felt the urge, but self-control helped to keep his face perfectly impassive. It was neither the time nor the place to show emotion.

“Just a moment,” Hux responded calmly after checking his watch.

Weird. What was that about?

Snoke glared at him impatiently. “Everyone is already present.”

“We’re waiting for…” 

The meeting room’s door opened as if on cue. Mitaka snuck in (when did he even leave?), but it wasn’t him whom Kylo locked eyes on. It was the woman behind his PA, a vision of professionalism in a sharp gray dress, stiletto pumps, and pearl necklace. _Rey. How?!_

“Ah, perfect,” Hux murmured with satisfaction as she took her place at Kylo’s left like it was a part of the plan all along. It was a struggle not to show surprise. What was going on?

“What is _she_ doing here?” Snoke asked exactly the same question that was running through Kylo’s mind.

Hux’s lips barely curled in an approximation of a smile. “You’ll see.”

Now that everyone was present it was time to start.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the First Order Industries Group Board meeting.”

Kylo could barely pay attention to the agenda or Snoke’s speech, too preoccupied with Rey. Why was she there? What was she playing at? She was so calm and collected, nothing like the distraught girl he had fought with days ago. Rey’s hands moved over her papers, drawing his attention to her ring, her _engagement ring_. Was it a message? It had to be. She was on his side. But how, and why?

Snoke droned on, so assured in his win he didn’t even try to hide his smugness.

“...as you can see, this is why a change of CEO is vital to the continuation of the First Order. Shall we begin the voting?”

“Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself?” Tano asked sharply, to which the man responded with raised eyebrows.

“Why waste the time of these very important people?”

“I believe Miss Johnson is going to present,” Hux interjected, so no-nonsense it almost made Kylo’s eyes bulge. 

_Rey? Present what?_ In the end, though, self-control won. 

“Oh, so she’s not the emotional support pet?” Hux Sr. inquired detachedly.

Daala smacked his arm with a disapproving expression.

“I’m afraid not.” Rey’s voice was confident and clear.

Kylo once again was awed. This was no little frightened sand cat, no, this was the queen of the jungle. 

“As a matter of fact I’m an engineer and a team lead for the project to replace LEADER.” 

_Wait, what?!_

The Board members collectively took a second look at the agenda.

Snoke only glanced at her, puzzled, but unperturbed. “Dear child, are you even out of school yet?”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

“Were you even aware of this?” Brendol demanded.

The Board turned to Kylo expectantly. They had reason – Rey was decidedly not on the agenda. He sat in his seat straighter. No show of weakness here.

“Everything Miss Johnson is presenting is approved by me,” Kylo responded coldly.

“So your little girlfriend is in charge now,” his former mentor sneered, getting irritated. The Members started whispering between each other.

Daala abruptly slammed her palm on the table. “Order! Continue, please,” she nodded benevolently. Jyn Erso didn’t hide a smirk at Snoke’s disgruntled expression.

“As you know,” Rey started, “the first TIEs used JEDI-type engines developed by Dr. Skywalker and Dr. Kenobi back in the sixties. After Republic Motors was acquired by The Empire, JEDI was replaced by the higher-efficiency SITH, at the cost of environmental impact.”

“We are not here for a history lesson,” Zahra-Tarkin interjected with annoyance. 

Rey didn’t look affected. “I’m getting to that. Several attempts to merge JEDI and SITH were made, including VADER.01 and 02 and lately, LEADER. But what if I tell you that there’s another way to assure an efficient engine while complying with Carbon Dioxide Emission Regulations,” she smiled proudly, motioning to Mitaka to start her presentation.

Snoke laughed. “I do love fairytales.”

“Allow me to introduce JEDA-II, a high-efficiency engine/transmission system with low fuel consumption.”

The whole room went deathly silent. Kylo couldn’t believe his eyes. Rey, _his_ Rey, his brilliant girl, had single-handedly returned the faith of his company. The problem he never managed to tackle all those years ago was solved and he himself couldn’t do it any better.

“…to increase the thermal efficiency of the engines, we propose a fuel system based on direct injection of gasoline technology that achieves a high compression ratio and diluted combustion, high energy ignition system, and highly responsive electronic valve timing control…” she went on enthusiastically, her beautiful scientific mind shining through every word.

The Board was entranced by her clear, assured delivery and Kylo was entranced by her. Her beautiful lithe body in that professional yet sexy dress, her spirited face, her animated eyes, her delicate hands that gestured to drive the point home, his ring on her slim finger.… Why the fuck did he let her go? What a fool he was. He would crawl on his knees and beg her to take him back. 

“…the maximum thermal efficiency in currently mass-produced vehicles is approximately 40%. TIE Silencer’s maximum thermal efficiency is 42%. JEDA-II has achieved over 45% thermal efficiency…”

Fuck, he was going to marry her. Kylo didn’t know how he’d convince her yet, but he would. He definitely would.

Finally, Rey wrapped up her presentation, leaving the audience a bit stunned (and Kylo’s pants not a little bit tighter). Their case was officially stated. Silence followed.

Daala, ever the decision-maker, adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat.

“This is all well and good, but do you have a prototype?”

Snoke smirked, relishing in the fact that their main weakness was exposed.

“Yes,” Rey simply answered.

The smirk left his face.

“A _working_ prototype?”

“Yes.”

“Here? Now?” Hux Sr. joined in.

“Yes.”

“Bullshit,” Snoke spat.

Too bad Jyn Erso was already getting up from her seat.

“Wonderful! Lead the way.”

It was a sight to behold when all of the Board members and the execs marched through the building to the test tracks. Not that anyone dared to comment on that. 

Kylo didn’t know what to expect, but the last thing he imagined was his dear old dad casually leaning on the Falcon. So that was their secret weapon?

Snoke burst out laughing on the spot.

“ _This_? Your magical new car is _this_?”

“Do not insult my bird,” Han responded calmly, much calmer than could be expected from him. 

Kylo was once again convinced that something was up.

Snoke turned to the Board members with a wide grin. “This is a joke.”

“I don’t know,” Zahra-Tarkin mused, “Miss Johnson was pretty convincing.”

“Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is?” Daala asked Kylo seriously.

He glanced at Rey from the corner of his eye. She nodded subtly.

“Yes.”

“Let’s do this,” Brendol announced suddenly. “If this JEDA-II does zero-to-60 run faster than the Silencer, we’ll give it a try.”

Snoke did a double take. “You're kidding.”

“I’m just being reasonable,” his former ally responded. “No need to lose money for the sake of a petty squabble.”

Han smirked. “On it.”

Kylo stopped him. This mess was his responsibility to fix.

“No, I’ll do it.”

Rey swallowed hard as Kylo caught the Falcon’s keys. Despite knowing that it would work, she couldn’t help feeling anxious. What if...?

Both drivers took their places. The observers prepared timers on their phones. Rey didn’t. She would rather focus on Kylo. The engines roared to life. The test began.

It was over in a blink of an eye. One second the cars started, the next Kylo emerged from the end of the track, his gorgeous mane swept back by the wind. Rey couldn’t take her eyes off him.

The spectators behind her began talking all at once, some incredulous, some stunned, some irritated. She didn’t pay much attention.

“You saw it?”

“Falcon - 12 seconds, Silencer - 14 seconds.”

“This is a mistake. “

“You were there.”

“You know the tests can be faked. None of this is real.”

Ah, Snoke. The bastard.

“That’s why every single letter of Miss Johnson’s research will be scrutinized ten times over,” Daala sternly informed him. “For now, the meeting is adjourned.”

“You heard her,” Tano interjected coldly when he tried to protest.

And protest he did. Although now even Brendol Hux wasn’t inclined to spare Snoke any attention.

“Young man,” Daala turned to Kylo, lowering her voice, “I rarely give advice, but you’ve got yourself a rare woman. Don’t lose her.”

He looked at Rey with an expression that made her weak in the knees. “I won’t, ma’am.”

“Good. Now I could use some tea,” she proclaimed loudly, heading back to the main building. The rest, a complaining Snoke included, followed.

Ugh, he did not know how to lose.

“Rey.”

She turned to her boyfriend, wide eyed. He stalked toward her like a Big Bad Wolf ready to pounce. What a difference from his composed demeanor from seconds ago.

“K-Kylo.”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Back to the meeting, she wanted to say.

“I…”

Clearly, it wasn’t happening. Kylo tugged her into a bruising kiss, walking her backwards until she hit the nearest wall.

“Fuck, I missed you,” he mumbled between kisses. “I’m sorry I was such an ass.”

“I overreacted,” she mumbled back. “Please.” What was she even asking for? 

“So fucking brilliant,” he kissed her neck. “Commanding the whole room like that.” His palms found her ass. “So hot.”

Suddenly Rey came back to her senses. “Kylo, stop.”

He took a step back immediately. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

She huffed. “We’re in public, dummy. People can see!”

He blinked, adorably baffled. “So what?” 

“So,” Rey smiled wickedly, toying with his tie, “you have a nice office. With a table. And chairs. And couch.”

“I’ve got the message,” he smirked predatorily.

The walk back to his office was _fast_ , as fast as Rey could muster in her heels. The second Kylo closed his office’s door, he backed her into it.

“I’m going to…”

“Ahem,” a throat cleared behind them loudly. They jumped apart in shock. In their haste they didn’t notice the office was already occupied. Leia, Han, Rose, Hux, Bazine, Kaydel and Mitaka snickered and grinned smugly, unlike Luke who looked like he swallowed a canary. Now was a good time to die from mortification.

“Sorry,” Rey murmured, blushing wildly.

Kylo, on the other hand, clearly saw no need to be embarrassed.

“What are you...?”

“We wanted to congratulate you, but apparently you’re already _celebrating,”_ Leia knowingly smirked.

Rey could beg the earth to swallow her whole. “That’s not…”

Leia rolled her eyes in amusement. “Please, I’ve been young, too.” 

“Sorry.”

“No need for that, dear. So, I heard Snoke is licking his wounds?”

“Yes, he is,” Kylo said with satisfaction. “Rey was _incredible_.”

“You weren’t so bad yourself,” she looked at him fondly. “And I had help.”

Kylo turned to his family and friends. Rey could see the moment when he realized how many people were actually fighting in his corner. “Thank you. All of you. The Falcon, Dad…” He found himself at a loss of words.

Han nodded. “I know. The kid did good. Better than Luke did before,” he added sotto voce.

“Hey! I’m right here,” the man protested grumpily.

His brother-in-law didn’t look apologetic at all. “I’m aware.”

“How did you manage all of this?” Kylo indulged his curiosity.

“There’s nothing teamwork can’t achieve,” Leia winked.

“And we used your research,” Rey added shyly. “You almost did this. You just needed a little push.”

“I needed you, sweetheart,” he responded, looking at her with adoration.

She laughed. “You’re silly.”

“He’s not, no,” Hux commented seriously. “Kylo is really lucky here.”

The man bowed his head. It was true. “Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome, dear,” Leia hugged her son, followed by her husband. “Now, I’ve booked t\The Castle for tonight. You still owe me an engagement party. Join us _whenever,_ ” she winked knowingly. 

He groaned. “Mom.”

“Have fun,” Leia only laughed in response.

“But not too much fun,” Rose piped in.

As the doors closed, Rey’s shoulders sagged in relief. “That was embarrassing.”

“Get used to it. My family,” Kylo sighed.

She smiled. “Oh, I will. Now where were we?”

“I think I owe you a thank you,” he promised darkly, lifting her onto the table.

“Kylo, what are you...?”

“Guess, sweet girl,” he winked, kneeling down. “Me, on my knees, before you, just how it should be.”

His fingers skimmed up her tights and then Rey’s brain melted into mush.

They arrived at the celebration fashionably late, although no one batted an eyelash. Rey could only thank Bazine for the extra strong hairspray that worked its magic; unlike Kylo’s, her hair didn’t look effortlessly perfect on its own. Luckily for them, food, drinks, and music were good distractions.

At some point Rose basically dragged Hux out to dance with a look that promised he wouldn’t get off the hook tonight and Kylo followed suit.

“One day I’m going to ask you to marry me,” he promised Rey, swaying with her to the music. “For real.”

“One day I might even agree,” she smiled cheekily. “You never know.”

He chuckled. “Minx.”

“You like it,” she teased.

“I love it. I love you.”

“And my amazing brain,” Rey grinned.

Kylo shook his head. “ _Especially_ your amazing brain.”

Three years later

Rey grinned as Kylo deposited another slice of pie onto her plate. Damn, the man knew her so well. And not just him, Leia always made sure the dishes were particularly dense on her end of the table. So much for being discreet in her food love.

The last three years had been… a lot. Between her graduation, career, and being an active supporter of women in STEM Rey was always busy. Not to mention the relationship between her and Kylo. At the end of the day their love story wasn’t a fairy-tale, rather continuous hard work and a lot of communication. And yet it was perfect exactly the way it was.

Many things changed after the fabled presentation of JEDA-II. Snoke spectacularly failed to return to his former position. Kylo’s relationship with his parents warmed considerably. Rey suddenly became a popular figure in her university, a fact that amused her to no end. The labs were in sudden need of a new head and under the pressure of his sister, Luke, kicking and screaming, was forced to take it before another replacement was found. Skywalker’s name helped to pacify the nervous Board members a great deal when the launch of the new Silencers was postponed due to the change of the engines. Life was good. Intense, but good.

She was getting ready to bite into her slice when Hux cleared his throat.

“We have an announcement.”

Everyone eyed him and Rose expectantly. They were the sweetest couple in existence and everyone guessed where the news was heading. 

“We’re getting married!” the girl proclaimed, never one to drag the process out.

The table burst into whoops.

Rey hugged her friend, overjoyed. “Congratulations!” 

Unexpectedly, Rose narrowed her eyes and rounded on her.

“Wait, you two got together before we did. When are _you_ getting hitched?” she pointed an accusing finger at her and Kylo.

“Yes!” Leia cried out emphatically. The question was one that had been brought up numerous times before. Everyone else nodded in support.

Rey gulped. Kylo cleared his throat.

“Um, we might have something to tell you.”

Leia’s eyes lit with pure excitement.

“You’re pregnant!”

“I knew it!” Rose cried out.

Is it a boy or a girl?” Finn butted in

“Twins!” 

“Do you have names?”

“Please let it be girls. Padme and Breha are such pretty names.”

“ _We’re not pregnant_!” Kylo bellowed over the whole cacophony.

His mother frowned at him, disappointed. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” she sighed, deflating.

“So what did you want to tell us then?” Han asked curiously.

Rey squirmed.

“Well, remember when we told you we had no time to plan a wedding?”

“Yes.”

“So we thought about it and…” she looked helplessly at Kylo.

“We swung past City Hall and did the deed,” he finished for her.

“Surprise!” Rey squeaked. 

The silence was deafening.

“Are you kidding?” Leia asked slowly. 

“No.”

“Rey Organa-Solo, how could you do that to me?!”

“Mom!” Kylo cried out.

“All I ever wanted was to give you a nice dress, a cake, and a party and now what?!”

“Don’t blame Rey, blame me,” Kylo shot back.

“Oh, I’m blaming you alright. This is unacceptable,” Leia pinched her lips grimly. “I’m throwing you a reception.”

_“What?!”_

“This is the least you can do to redeem yourself,” she declared. “No time you say? I’ll pick everything down to the napkins. You’ll only have to show up.”

“And not disappear into the cleaning closet or something,” Poe commented wryly.

“A valid concern,” Han added with a smirk.

Rey flushed. That was one time! Maybe two. Three tops. 

“We…”

“Yes, you,” Leia responded. 

“We don’t know what to say.”

“No need to say anything. I have a plan.” 

Kylo shared a horrified look with his wife. Nothing could stop Leia when her Napoleonic plans were already set in motion. Not even the opinion of her only child.

Although, judging from his marital status, it didn’t turn out that bad last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap!
> 
> You'd think I'm ecstatic to have my head all to myself now, but no, Reylo AUs procreate and multiply🤣
> 
> What's next? A bakery AU where a ruthless manager Ben returns to his hometown to reclaim his family business from a Rey guy that took it over. Except oops, Rey is not a guy.  
> Hopefully, I'll finish it before Christmas because there's a Christmas AU that wants to be written as well...


End file.
